GateWars: StarFire
by Darth Rane
Summary: A Sith lord takes his fleet-and ships of the New Republic-to wage war in the Milky Way galaxy. His first target: Earth, the home of SG-1.
1. Plans

**Note to Reader:** _I do not own Star Wars (much as I'd like to) or Stargate. Yes, I know there might be many mistakes for each show/movie....but this is as good as it's gonna' get. :D Enjoy!_

_Oh yeah, my friend is co-author of this story. She role-plays the Stargate portion of this, and I write the Star Wars. So this story does not ALL belong to me. :3 Just half of it._

* * *

Darth Rane, or Rane for short, looked up at the face of her master, her blue eyes ignited with a powerful hate. That face…the one she had looked at and hated since she could remember. Her master said that hate was good, and once she accomplished something with this burning hatred, she would finally be worthy of the title Darth Rane. Yes, Rane was not her real name. But after going by Rane for thirteen years, she only remembered her real name as an alter-ego, one that seemed as something in a dream. She couldn't remember anything about that name. Not the personality. Not anything.

Pulling herself back to reality, Rane met the gaze of her master evenly. Even though she was seeing him only as a hologram, his red eyes seemed to drill holes into her very soul.

"So, my apprentice. You dare to question my decision?" he asked. Rane nodded, though a little hesitantly.

"Yes, Master. Even though you now control the remnant of the old Empire, wouldn't it make more sense to regain control of this galaxy before invading another one?" she tried to control her shaking voice. Rane's master chuckled.

"My young apprentice, you are thinking. But this new galaxy has new technology, technology that would make all the difference in conquering this galaxy. And they are unsuspecting of an attack .They would be easy to conquer, even easier to control. On some worlds, they would have never seen a shape-shifter like yourself. Your ability will come in handy. Now, I would like a status report on our…project." He said, choosing his words carefully.  
"Yes, Master. The Supe—"  
"Stop." He hissed quietly. Then, almost too quiet to hear, he added. "This message is being tapped. I hope to talk later. Don't think this lets you off of the hook." And with that, his holo image disappeared. Rane was left staring blankly at the empty space where he had been, and sighed. She lowered her icy blue eyes to the floor, letting her black hair fall into her face. She reached back and pulled her hood over her head, before turning on her heel and walking out the door. Time to act.

* * * * *

Luke Skywalker was standing in the recording room of a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, staring at the two conversing holograms, his pulse quickening. How Rebel Intelligence had been able to slice into this, he did not know. But their efforts were being quickly rewarded.

"Yes, Master. The Supe —"

"Stop. This message is being tapped."

Everyone watching the hologram froze. How could he have known that? Tapped messages were impossible to track from such a distance. Leia turned to Luke, a questioning expression on her face. Luke just shrugged in return. Mon Mothma kept her eyes glued to the two figures, or where they used to have been. Both were now gone.

"Mury, play that over again." She ordered. The techie nodded, and pressed a button on his board. The two figures appeared again. Turning her eyes to rest on Luke, Mon Mothma gave him a questioning look.

"What do you make of it, Jedi Skywalker?" she asked.

"Really, all I can think is 'How could he have known we were tapping them'. And then, 'I know that it is possible for one Force-adept to pick it up. But someone must be extremely strong in the Force. My only guess is he is either a Jedi, or a Sith. Judging by what they were wearing, I would guess a Sith." Luke mused seriously. Mon Mothma's eyes widened.

"I thought the Emperor and Darth Vader were the last of the Sith." She said incredulously. Luke looked around the room, and saw everyone was now staring at him. Chewbacca growled a question.

"I'm not sure." Luke replied. "Obviously, he is Force sensitive. That is all I can gather from the recording." Mon Mothma opened her mouth to speak again, only to be cut off by the alarm.

"Approaching...unknown object. This is not a drill. Repeat, approaching unknown object. This is not a drill. Prepare for impact." An automated voice boomed over the loudspeaker. Everyone in the room sat frozen for one moment, before everything erupted into chaos as every being scrambled to their battle stations. Leia ran over to Han, who escorted her out of the room. Luke followed them up to the bridge, looking out the view port of the object they were rapidly approaching.  
"Oh…my…gosh…" he whispered.

* * * * *

The girl woke up, at first peaceful, then suddenly frightened. She stared around, trying to find something familiar. Some small thing other than her own body. Although she stared around and around for something, she did not notice anything familiar. She tried to get up, but found herself restrained and hooked up to a device that looked like a touchpad, or a computer. An IV was inserted into her arm leading up to a bag hanging from a stand. The girl probed her mind for something that might help her get out of her restraints. Suddenly, it came to her. She concentrated on the wrist cuffs, trying to bend them to her will. Unfortunately, it did not work. They were too strong for her to bend, as she was weak, ill by something she did not know.

Sighing, she lay her head back down in frustration, her pale green eyes —as light as sea foam—closing for a moment. She took in her surroundings, looking for a way to escape—if she ever got out of her restraints. The girl was in a circular room, dark, but comfortable. There were no other people in there, but it had every characteristic of an infirmary, even if it was a little bit enhanced. There was no greenery, and one steel door with a small window in it that she could not see anything beyond, just an underground hall. There was the bed she was laying on, starched sheets and all, blinding lights on the ceiling, and a rug on the floor. A few yards away there were two over-stuffed chairs, and a glass and iron coffee table. The only uncomfortable thing she could see was the video camera up by the ceiling, pointing straight at her.

"Why don't you come and face me?" she asked the silent watcher tauntingly. "You scared?"

Just then, the door opened. A woman walked in, wearing a long white coat. Following here was another woman, this time in a dark green uniform.

"I see you're awake. Hope you're feeling well," the woman in the white coat said.  
The girl wanted to snort. She was tied to a bed, hooked up to a computer and a bag, in the middle of a semi-comfortable prison, and the woman asks if she's feeling well? Not to mention that she can't remember a thing? She said nothing, all the while drinking in the appearances of the two people. She didn't want to forget who she was up against.

"Not very talkative, are you?" the woman asked.

"I talk," the girl said.

"How is she, Dr. Fraiser?" the woman in the green uniform wondered.

"Her vitals are fine. I think she can get out of bed now," Dr. Fraiser replied.

"Fine by me, talk over my head as if I don't exist," the girl growled. There was a considerable pause. "Can I go outside?"

"No offense," the woman in green said lightly, pausing before continuing. "You're quite the phenomenon you know."

"I want out. Now," the girl said.

"Not quite yet," the uniformed woman replied. "You go marching out there with...with...with those wings of yours and it'll create chaos."

The girl looked down at herself. She had lime green dragon wings attached to her back, matching her eyes, if a bit darker. They seemed strange to the others, but they were perfectly normal to her. Fiercely, she turned her eyes to the woman, defiant and ready.

"I am not a creature that you can study," the girl said.

"I know." the woman said. "We have no intention of doing so."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Major Samantha Carter. You?" she replied.

The girl thought a moment. She remembered a name, something, something nagging at the back of her mind.

"Aurora," she said. Looking down at a pendant hanging at her neck, she noticed the symbol. A four pointed star inside a tiny flame. "Aurora Starfire."

"Well, Aurora, nice to meet you," Samantha said. "Let's get you out of these cuffs."  
Aurora waited silently while Sam unlocked and removed the restraints that bound her to the bed. Once she was done, she sat up, rubbing her wrists.

"Why was I cuffed to the bed?" Aurora asked.

"You were...you had convulsions while you were unconscious. I had to have a few nurses watch you through the day, even at night, so you wouldn't die. The convulsions were a reaction to a poison that was in your blood stream," Dr. Fraiser said.

"We found you on P3R-118. You were picked up by the people living there —when they found you, you were almost frozen to death. They were surprised, and confused as to how you got there." Another pause. "How _did_ you get there?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I can't remember anything. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada," answered Aurora.

There was another long pause. Then Aurora spoke up.

"Can't I walk around a little bit?

Sam looked at Dr. Fraiser questioningly.

"I guess it would be fine —she's healthy enough," the doctor answered to her look.

"Walk around, as in, outside."

Sam sighed. "I guess it would be fine, if you hid your wings."  
Aurora got up, swaying for a moment. Sam hurried to her side, pulling her up, supporting her.

"I'm fine," Aurora said, waving her off.  
Sam put a black cloak around Aurora's shoulders.

"It's yours," Sam said at Aurora's questioning look.

Sam led her out of the door, supporting her the whole time. They walked along the hallway silently for a few moments. Then Sam got out her walkie-talkie when they got to a solid metal door.

"Permission to show Aurora to gate room control?" she asked whoever was on the other end.

"Who is Aurora?" a voice asked.

"Our newest guest," Sam replied.

There was yet another long pause. Man, these people seemed to like to build up suspense.

"Permission granted," the voice finally answered.

Sam led Aurora through the door. They turned right, and Aurora's eyes widened.  
Through the window that looked into another huge room was a giant ring, with runes all around it.

Aurora just stared.

"Welcome to Stargate Command."


	2. Problems

It was big. Bigger than Luke remembered it. And intact, too. Plus, it was surrounded by at least six Imperial Star Destroyers. The air from the bridge had been sucked out, and Luke heard a soft thud from behind him. Almost painfully, Luke tugged his eyes away from the sight just outside the viewport. What he saw would have made him laugh any other day.

Chewbacca was sprawled out on top of Han Solo, his eyes closed, apparently unconscious. Han was flailing his hands and legs, trying to push Chewy off of him.

"Get off of me, you big fuzzball!" Han's muffled shout came from under the Wookie. Luke slightly twitched his hand, using the Force to roll Chewy off of Han. No sooner had Han stood up and looked out the viewport, he joined the Wookie on the floor.

_Oh, great. Now Han_ and_ Chewy are unconscious. _Luke thought. He returned his gaze to outside of the ship, staring at the big hulk of metal in the near distance. He gulped, his mouth going dry. It looked exactly like the last two Death Stars. Exactly, only bigger. And it was swarming with security droids, as well as tech and mechanic droids.

"Lovely." Leia commented sarcastically beside him. Admiral Ackbar swiveled his chair to face Luke, the Mon Calamari's face drained of its usual salmon color.

"Who could possibly have gotten the materials to build this? And the credits? And who could be commanding the Imperials?" Ackbar asked him. It was a question meant for Luke, but everyone started throwing out theories. While they did that, Luke stood back and watched. He felt something strangely familiar from that giant Death Star...and suddenly the realization hit him like a wet snowball in the face.

"There's another Sith...and she's by that Space Station." Luke said. All at once, everything was silent. Ackbar and Leia especially stared at him, their eyes boring holes into him. Han and Chewy were still unconscious behind him.

"What did you say?" Ackbar said, his voice hoarse.

"I said, 'there is another Sith. And she's by that Space Station." he said. All at once, he knew it was beginning again.

* * * *

"General."

The voice came from behind her. Rane spun around, her icy eyes looking directly in the captain's direction.  
"Yes, Captain?" she said simply. The captain pulled himself together.  
"A Republic cruiser —Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, to be specific —is in the area. Shall I order an attack?" he asked. Rane's lip twitched.

"Let me check back with you, Captain." she growled. "Dismissed." The captain bowed respectfully, and then hurried off. Rane swiftly walked over to her holo screen and called the bridge.  
"Bridge, connect me to the Death Star. My master, to be exact." she ordered. In just a few seconds, she had visual with him.

"Master. Rebels in the area. Are we ready to make the jump to lightspeed? We can't let them know what we are up to." she told him. Soruto grinned, as if he had expected this.

"Yes. Make the jump to lightspeed, but pull the Rebels with us. I want to see how they react." he said. Rane nodded.

"Of course, Master. But what of Luke Skywalker? He is with them. As is Organa Solo."

"They are aboard too?" Soruto hissed, but brightened. "Yes, bring them as well. I would very much like to meet...Vader's children."

Rane nodded, and broke contact. She gave the order, and the entire Imperial fleet jumped to lightspeed. Headed for the Milky Way galaxy. And pulling the Rebel's Star Cruiser in tow.

* * * * *

Aurora sat at a table in the cafeteria of the SGC, reclining in her seat, with her wings wrapped around her. She wore a black halter top, with a black slanted skirt, black leggings, and black boots. She also wore black leather wrist warmers, a silver belt, and a black cloak. The only adornment she wore was a silver chain nestled in her long black layered hair, with a silver dragon beneath a pale lime green stone hanging from the chain in the middle of her forehead. Sam gave it to her, saying they found it with her. Aurora didn't remember it, like she didn't remember anything else, but she wore it anyway.

Aurora looked up as Sam came and sat across from her at the table, lunch tray in hand.

"Hi," said Sam.

"Hi," Aurora muttered.

"How have you been doing?" asked Sam.

"Fine, I guess. They all stare at me."

The day before, General Landrey, the general in charge of this base, had contacted the whole SGC through the intercom, telling them about Aurora so the personnel wouldn't freak out.

"I guess that can be expected," Sam answered. "Why haven't you eaten your food? It seems like you haven't had much of an appetite."

Aurora glanced down at her food. She hadn't touched it.

"I've been thinking," she said. She didn't say the rest. She had been trying to remember anything, something that would make her remember the rest.

"You know, sometimes the amnesia dies down, and you remember things. You just have to be patient," Sam said.

"I know," Aurora answered. "It's just...well...I don't like not remembering myself. I want to know what happened to me, and know what to do about it. I can't even remember who my family is, let alone my enemies, and what could happen if they met me? I wouldn't be able to remember that they're my enemy. Then they could control me, or pretend to be my friend! I don't like the idea of that."

"You don't have to worry about anything...You know the SGC will protect you. We'll help you find your family...We'll do the best we can," Sam answered.

Aurora nodded.

* * * * *

One month after the jump to hyperspace…

Rane walked quickly along the grey-black hallway, her blue eyes burning. Spending one month on the Imperial Star Destroyer _Judicator_ had been over the time limit she wanted. Her black cloak swished around her black boots, and fear seemed to be implanted in everyone she encountered.

"Captain." She said calmly as she reached the bridge. Her black hair fell over her eyes, as she came to an abrupt halt. The captain rushed over to her.

"Yes, General?" he asked her. She glared at him.

"Get me contact with the Death Star. I need to talk to my master. Now." Her foot tapped as the crew took a painfully long time reaching the Death Star. Finally, they had radio contact. A life-size hologram of Soruto appeared in front of her.

"What it is, Rane?" he sounded annoyed. And Rane could live with that. He was her master, but she could still complain. She looked into those two red slits beneath Soruto's hood, almost forgetting her anger. Whenever she looked at him, fear always nagged in the back of her mind.

"Master, The Republic Cruiser has tried repeatedly to drop out of hyperspace, once practically dragging our ship with it. Amazingly, the reverse effect on those Interdictor Cruisers worked. But Skywalker has tried to make mental contact with me. Permission to blow him out of the sky once out of hyperspace?" she growled. Soruto's eyes narrowed.

"This is your reason for contacting me? Very well. Seems like a good enough reason. But you have forgotten our rule? You will address me in full form."

"But —"

"No buts. Unless you want permission to at least destroy Skywalker, I want full form." He snarled. Alana rolled her eyes, but grudgingly revealed her light blue dragon wings from under her cloak. She hated having them out in the open on a Star Destroyer. All they did was get her unwanted attention. Soruto nodded in approval and smiled a smile that always managed to get under Rane's skin.

"Much better, apprentice. I give you permission to destroy Skywalker only. And only when I give you the signal. Any attempt on Organa Solo's life, or any move to destroy the Rebel Cruiser, and you will be dealt with most harshly. Understood?" he said calmly. Rane gulped and nodded. Everyone on the bridge knew what 'most harshly' meant. Rane shuddered at the thought.

"Thank you, Master."

"Indeed, apprentice."

And with that, the communication was broken. No sooner had Soruto's hologram disappeared then there was a flicker of pseudo-motion outside the view port. And then they were there, out of hyperspace. In the Milky Way. The moment they returned to normal space, a sudden sharp, yet not unpleasant, feeling jabbed into Rane's mind.  
Rane hissed through her teeth. This was not Skywalker trying to contact her. This was something different. And familiar. Rane shook it off.

"Where are we, Captain?" she asked. The captain glanced out at the blue-green planet they were currently circling.

"From Lord Soruto's records, we are over a planet called 'Earth'." He told her. Rane nodded.

"Stand by for orders." She said, slightly annoyed. She could feel Skywalker trying to call her again, and was not in the mood. She glanced at the Super Death Star, able to pull planets out of orbit. And wondered what Soruto had in mind for this planet.


	3. Punishment

It was a comfortable room, Aurora had decided. There was a coffee table and chairs off to the side on a rug, and a wardrobe across the room from the queen sized bed. The walls were light brown, and the furniture was brown, green and gold. There were oil paintings of leaves on the walls. It was kind of General Landrey to let her take a room in the SGC.

Aurora took a few steps into the room, and collapsed, gasping for air. In her mind's eye, she saw the inside of an Imperial Shuttle craft, going down into the atmosphere of an icy planet, cold and lifeless.

_A man across the room with shoulder-length sandy brown hair and red slits for eyes sneered at her. His name was Soruto. Aurora glared back at him with hatred in her eyes._

_Aurora had lived as Soruto's prisoner for most of her life. He kept her in a room with no windows, with the door locked, guarded by a Force-sensitive guard. That room was in the brig of his personal ship. According to the ship's records, the prisoner in that room was a traitor to Soruto. People were surprised that he didn't just execute the prisoner, but no one dared questioning him._

_Soruto had tried to convert her to "his way", but Aurora knew better. Her father had taught her so, and she could sense Soruto was part of the dark side of the Force. Her father had taught her of the Force before Soruto kidnapped her, realizing she was still alive. Somehow, he found out that she lived in a Squib's house who had taken her in, after the slaughter of the entire race of Soferians._

_"We're getting closer to your new home," Soruto said sarcastically._

_"You can't hurt me," Aurora said defiantly._

_"Oh, I can't, can I?" he answered._

_Aurora watched silently as Soruto gave orders to a guard by the door. After a few minutes, the guard returned, this time carrying a small metal case. Soruto took it from him and walked over to Aurora._

_"Since I can't have you getting in the way of...my apprentice, and you refuse to do as I say..." he left off as he opened the case._

_Aurora's eyes suddenly widened in fear at the sight of the contents of the box. She struggled vainly at her bonds, trying to break free._

_"Yes, Aurora. Soferic acid," he laughed softly at the look in her eyes._

_Inside the metal case was a syringe, filled with a crystal blue liquid. Too much. Enough to kill any grown Soferian, let alone a young girl. Slowly, menacingly, he moved toward Aurora. Aurora tried harder to break free, but it was useless. Soruto quickly used the Force to lift up her chin, and to make her still. Soruto slowly, painfully, torturously, pushed the needle into Aurora's arm. Almost instantly after Soruto let her go, she began shivering, convulsing, the feeling like a raging wildfire spreading throughout her entire body._

_The ship swooped down to a few yards above the land. Soruto suddenly ripped Aurora's bindings off and walked her to the hatch on the side of the shuttle. He opened it, sending in ripples of cold air. Quickly and harshly, he shoved her into the snow where she lay, writhing about, already white snowflakes showing up against her black ebony hair. Her wings blended into the pure white of the snow, blood from the spot where he had injected the poison dotting the ground around her arm._

_"You'll never get in my way again," he whispered._

_The wind howled so she could not hear him. Even so, she could not hear the ship fly away. Finally, she drifted into fever-ridden unconsciousness, her body already shutting down, the amount of poison too much for her slowing heart to handle, just as the warm light of a lantern fell across her face._

* * *

Rane sat in her quarters. Of the Imperial Star Destroyer. Which she was still on. Anger simmered inside her, approaching the boiling point. Why hadn't Soruto taken her off the dang thing yet? He had said she should be ready on a moments notice. Well, she was ready, and had been waiting for hours. Or was it days? She lost track of time on this hunk of metal. But maybe the ship was safer. Down there, on the planet, was something she didn't know, yet was quite familiar with. And she hated not knowing what it was. As she sat on her sleep couch, she felt another presence touch her mind.

_Skywalker, if this is you again, I swear I will destroy your ship even without my master's orders,_ She threatened. All she got in return was a calm reassurance. Oh, how she loathed his self control. _Will you at least tell me what you want?_ Not like she already didn't know. Again, all she felt was his presence. After he let it linger on the outside of her mind for a while, she felt him slowly begin to probe her subconscious. With a sudden rage, she revolted and sent a long wave of pain back to him. She felt him recoil and a bit of smugness entered her thoughts.

_That's far enough, Skywalker, _she hissed, and this time, she got a reply.

_What is down there on the planet's surface that you don't want to meet?_

Rane gritted her teeth. So he knew about that. She hadn't stopped his 'snooping' soon enough. Great. She could only wonder what else he knew about.

_Why should I tell you, Jedi?_ She growled. She could almost see Luke's smirk at her question. He brought up a memory of hers, one precious piece of information he'd snagged from her mind. The scene he showed her was one she remembered quite vividly. One she shouldn't have let Luke get even remotely close to.

_Her failure had not gone unnoticed. With every step, she was a step closer to his quarters. Another step toward her punishment, which was sure to be harsher than her last. Dreading what would be behind his closed doors, she stepped through. And almost ran right back out. Her master sat holding a syringe full of Soferic acid. Not just a small dose, either. It was about five times the amount she usually got. Not good._

_Soruto stood, holding the needle out for her to see in plain sight. He stepped closer to her, his red, cat-like eyes glittering like hot coals._

_"Please understand that I do this only because you deserve it." He snarled. He raised his hand, and practically stabbed her arm. Almost immediately, the familiar burning pain spread like wildfire through her body. Only this time, it was growing hotter and hotter, until she couldn't even stand on two feet any more. Shuddering and writhing with terror and pain, she fell to the ground. Soruto watched her, grinning a hideous grin._

_"Don't fail me again, Darth Rane."_

The scene ended abruptly, and Rane found herself lying on the ground. Side affects from shock. Or terror. She snarled and sent her reply whipping back to Skywalker as hard as she could.

_You don't know who you're messing with, Skywalker._ Rane remembered some of the old holo images she had seen of the rise of the Empire —when Anakin / Darth Vader had slaughtered hundreds of Jedi. And Vader just happened to be Luke's father. Rane smirked evilly and sent the memory back to him, anticipating his reaction. Much to her amusement, she felt his shock, then silent horror, and his presence slowly withdrew from her mind.

But another one took its place.

"Oh great. My master is here," she whispered bitterly. Without making a sound, she stood and clipped her lightsaber to her belt, then exited her quarters and made her way down to the hangar bay. It seemed time to get some much needed fresh air.

Rane marched down to the hangar bay, her face emotionless. Her boots smacked the cold durasteel floors with each purposeful stride, and it was all she could do to keep from running up to the approaching shuttle craft and cutting through its hull with her saber. He'd kept her waiting long enough; he deserved to lose his private shuttle. But instead, she stopped a good twelve meters away and stood still, eyes riveted to the white door. When it finally opened and the tall, cloaked form of her master stepped out, Rane stood up straighter and tried her best to keep the annoyance from her mind.

"Hello, master. May I ask what took you so long getting here?" she said through gritted teeth. His cat-like eyes narrowed.

"Don't give me that." he snarled. That was the only thing he said to her; he turned instead to an officer and spoke. "Cloaking shields up, commander. We have company. The Death Star and its crew will remain here, but once my apprentice and I are in the planet's atmosphere, make the jump to lightspeed to your designated sector. Then, wait for my orders." The officer nodded, and hurried off.

"Come, apprentice. I'll explain in the shuttle." he growled. Rane raised an eyebrow, but followed her master aboard the shuttle craft. Now it seemed like a good thing she hadn't reduced it to a heap of smoldering metal.

It took them only a few minutes to slip unnoticed beneath the shielding of clouds, and she could just make out the twinkle in the sky that was the _Judicator_ jumping to hyperspace.

"So, master, what is this all about?" she asked. Soruto looked grimly out the viewport.

"They are smarter than I thought—or anticipated. They have a planetary shield that makes them untouchable. From space, that is. But, of course, they have a generator and computers that run those generators."  
Rane could see where he was going with this.

"You want me to disable the shields. Or one of them." She said. Soruto's eyes sparkled evilly.

"Correct, my apprentice. There is someone else on this planet I must take care of, one who could be a threat to us. Meanwhile, you must find the generator and shut it down." Rane nodded, and glanced out at the fast approaching ground.

"Do you at least have blue prints or plans I can use to find my way around this…base?" she asked. Soruto shook his head.

"Unfortunately, we didn't have the time. And this base is known as the SGC. Stargate Command. Don't ask me what it's about, Imperial Intelligence couldn't find out anything except that there is an interplanetary device called a stargate." Soruto informed her. Rane nodded, and as they came ever closer to the ground of Earth, the pressure in the back of her mind grew to a buzzing, making it hard to concentrate. Whatever this was, she wanted it gone.

* * *

Luke Skywalker watched the last Imperial Star Destroyer disappear with a flicker of pseudo-motion into hyperspace. Leaving only the Death Star. He turned to Leia beside him.

"I have to go. Whatever the Imps are up to, it can't be anything good. And our scanners show we are in a completely different galaxy. We have to have some way of warning whoever lives down there." He told her. She looked away, past the viewport and the blue-green planet below. Lost in time.

"The last time you went off on your own, you almost got yourself killed by the Emperor. And the time before that, C-3PO was blasted to bits, and Han, Chewbacca and I underwent Imperial torture. Then Han was frozen in carbonite. What happens when you go off again?" she wondered. Luke sensed more than saw the concern that emanated from her. And he could read her like a book.

"You want to come. And bring Han, Chewy, and the droids with us, don't you?" he said. Leia looked pleadingly at him.

"You're getting too good at that. But yes, I do. And don't say it's too dangerous, because I can handle danger." She said. Luke shook his head.

"Leia, you've only barely begun your Jedi training. It would be to danger—" He stopped himself before he said it. "And, well, we don't know who—or what—we're dealing with." Leia put one hand on her hip.

"Then at least allow me to come with you. It would be great training." Luke searched his mind for something he could say, but drew a blank. He sighed.

"Okay, okay. You can come. But if things get to dangerous, find someplace to hide and let me handle it." He reluctantly agreed. Leia nodded, and smiled mischievously.

Together, she and Luke walked to the hangar. Luke prepped his X-Wing (which meant bringing R2 along) and wondered how he was going to get both him and Leia into a one-man fighter. Leia, however, had her own plans. She squeezed herself behind the pilot's seat, folding herself into what had to be an uncomfortable position. Luke was about to protest, but a sharp look from his sister told him to think twice. So he shrugged and Force-leaped into the cockpit.

Lifting off, he flew out of the hangar and swooped around.

"R2, can you get us radio contact with them?" Luke asked. R2 beeped, and said he would try. He might only be able to send a recording, though.

"Too primitive, or too advanced?" Leia asked. R2 beeped neither, and that he just couldn't make contact.

"Okay, R2. Start recording...now."

The little droid beeped, and Luke began his message.

"Hello. This is…Luke Skywalker." Luke winced at how stupid that sounded. "Right now, your entire planet could be risking destruction. I suggest you send a highly trained fighter squadron out here or something, or your planet could be in real danger. Asking permission to land; I could be of some assistance." R2 beeped, and then announced he had sent the message. Leia looked at Luke.

"Oh, come on. Even I could've done better than that." She said. Luke fumed.

"I can always turn back and lock you on the ship, you know." he threatened. His threat worked; he didn't hear another word from Leia as they slipped into the planet's atmosphere.

"And now…to figure out where to land..." He mumbled to himself.


	4. Missions

Aurora stood in the middle of gate room control, directing people for getting ready for attack when a recorded message came through on the speaker.

"Hello. This is…Luke Skywalker. Right now, your entire planet could be risking destruction. I suggest you send I highly trained fighter squadron out here or something, or your planet could be in really deep trouble. Asking permission to land, I could be of some assistance."

"General Landrey!" Aurora yelled.

"Yes?" Landrey asked as he entered the room.

"A recorded message came through," Aurora replied. "Replay the message." she told to a man at the computer.

Luke Skywalker's voice came through the speaker again.

_Pathetic. I could have done better,_ Aurora thought as the message finished.  
"Permission to connect through radio?" Aurora asked Landrey.  
"Permission granted," he replied.

"Excuse me," the man at the computer said. "I'm afraid I can't connect through radio. They sent us a recorded message, presumably because they couldn't connect either. We can send them a recorded message, though."

"May I?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," Landrey said. "Tell him he can land his ship, but tell him to be discreet. No need to let the Earth know about the Stargate program."

"Turn on the recording device," Aurora said. When the technician gave her the thumbs up, she began. "Hello. This is Aurora Starfire. I know that Soruto and someone else is up there. Permission to land granted, but be discreet. Land at the base of Cheyenne Mountain."

"That's it. Turn the recording device off," Landrey said. "Send it."

The recording came in clear (considering their recording systems were completely different), but when R2 replayed the message, Luke was surprised to hear a female voice. "What, you amazed to discover a girl is allowed near communication systems?" Leia asked. Luke shrugged.

"Kinda. I thought that ever since you almost self-destructed that transport because of faulty wiring in the communications room and was never allowed in their again unless vibro-cuffed, that it applied to every girl." He reasoned. R2-D2 beeped in agreement. Leia looked annoyed.

"Just get us to the planet's surface, Luke." She said. He nodded, and pulled up the area where they could land on his computer. While he was doing this, Leia looked out the cockpit window toward the looming space station, nearly three times as big as the former model and gulped. They'd had enough trouble finding a weakness in the first two…certainly the wouldn't make the same mistake three times? An image of her home planet flashed through her mind, and bit her lip. So much power…

"Ready to go?"

Luke's voice snapped Leia out of her trance.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." She stuttered. Luke looked at her strangely.

"You okay?" he wondered.

"Um…yeah. I'm fine." She assured him. Luke nodded, still not entirely convinced.

"Hold on." He said, managing a slight smirk. Then, he put the X-Wing into a steep dive, plunging through the upper atmosphere at a sickening speed. Luke let the X-Wing almost free fall through the air, before pulling up and leveling out at an altitude of thirty-thousand feet. Leia glared at him.

"I hate it when you do that." She growled. Luke just laughed, and began a much easier and not quite as steep descent to the blue-green planet below. Following the messages instructions, he did it as discreetly as possible. Luke landed in the area he was told to, and opened the cockpit hatch. Jumping out (aided by the Force, of course), he held out his arms for Leia to jump. Once she was on the ground, Luke turned to R2.

"Stay here and watch the ship."

R2 beeped affirmative, and Luke and Leia made their way to the small figures waiting at the edge of the small tunnel.

_Primitive…_Leia thought to herself. But, she had learned early on, never judge a holobook by its cover.

Luke strode up to the winged figure waiting for them, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

"She's...Soferian." Leia whispered to him. Luke nodded, recalling what he had heard about the strange, dragon-like species. They had been destroyed during the rise of the Empire. Luke wondered how any had survived.

"Are you the one we're supposed to meet?" Luke wondered aloud.

The Imperial Shuttle came in under scanners, its shields up. It landed a full mile away from the SGC, but Rane didn't rally care. She liked to run. And run she would. The door of the shuttle opened with a hiss, and Soruto pushed Rane out.

"The entrance is a cave or tunnel in Cheyenne Mountain. I hope you'll be able to get in unnoticed—getting caught is classified as failure." He warned her, his tone not quite reassuring. Rane nodded, her icy gaze focusing on the rising peaks in the distance.

"Yes, Master."

"Once the shield is disabled, meet me back here."

"Yes, Master." Rane replied again. Dipping her head in a respectful manor, she took off at an inhuman speed, running over the rough ground. Once out of sight, she took a slight detour and veered toward a small (okay, maybe not so small) dip in the ground. Spreading her wings behind her, she leapt off the ravine and became airborne. She looped once in the air, enjoying the fresh air beneath her wings. Oh, how long had it been since she had last had some fresh air? Long enough, she decided.

Risking one look behind her, she shape-shifted into her Ice Dragon form and shot straight up into the air. Rane's dragon form was covered in blue and silver scales, and jagged silver patterns. Two translucent blue wings extended from her back. Pure white, pupiless eyes narrowed as the wind whipped her face. So as not to alert to anyone of her presence, she dove toward the ground in time to see a —X-Wing!?— come to a smooth landing about three quarters of a mile away. Skywalker was flying carefully, but she could sense more than see his arrival. Rane growled and almost crash-landed on the hard ground, flapping her wings to regain her balance.

She returned to her normal form, and knew now that Skywalker might be able to sense her presence. Oh, she was being stupid. He would sense her, and probably already had. Rane suppressed the urge to swear viciously. Not now; she had to think. There was one good thing that would come out of this. She finally had the chance to destroy him. Grinning evilly to herself, she ran off toward the base.

From a distance, she could see it as a clearly man-made tunnel, and looked quite primitive. Rane almost snorted, but kept quite. To walk right into an active military base would require all her training, and she couldn't underestimate who she was dealing with, no matter how last century their technology seemed.


	5. Meetings

Aurora stood at the base of Cheyenne Mountain beside General Landrey and SG-1, foot tapping impatiently on the hard ground. She had been waiting at least fifteen minutes, and she was tired of it.

Suddenly, a dark shape swooped down from the clouds, appearing to be a ship of some sort.

_An X-wing,_ she thought as the shape got closer to the ground. She had no idea where she had learned that name, but it was something she was sure of.

The X-wing flew down to the earth, landing about a hundred yards away. Aurora walked briskly forward, stopping when she saw that the two people were walking toward Aurora and the others. Aurora wanted to look like she was in control, so that the newcomers would not underestimate her.

The newcomers were a young man, and woman. They had the look of youth, but also knowledge.

The man strode up to her, with a funny look on his face. The woman whispered to him, and he nodded.

"Are you the one we're supposed to meet?" the man asked.

"Yes. I'm Aurora. This is General Landrey, and SG-1; Major Samantha Carter, Teal'c, Colonel Mitchell, and Dr. Jackson," she said, gesturing to them, one by one.

The man waited for a moment, with a frown on his face.

"Is there a problem?" Aurora asked icily.

"No," he answered.

"May I ask that you introduce yourself?" Aurora asked sharply.

"Oh...Yeah. I'm Luke Skywalker, and this is Leia Organa Solo," he said, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

"Now, what kind of trouble is Earth in?" Aurora asked.

"Well, there is a Death Star above this world, Earth as you call it. A Super Death Star," Luke answered.

Aurora looked questioningly at him.

"A sequel to the Death Star that my father—" He grimaced "— sorta' kinda' helped to make. A space station with enough power to destroy planets. Only this one—this one can even pull planets out of orbit."

Aurora paled at the thought of that. It must have taken a while, and Soruto had never said anything about it while she was captive. _Of course he didn't tell me_, she thought. _I was his prisoner._

"We'd better talk this over in the briefing room," Aurora said.

Luke Skywalker nodded, and followed Aurora and the rest of her group—he didn't remember their names—toward the entrance of the base. Once cleared to enter (Luke and Leia were excused from this), the small party started down the tunnel of the Stargate Command.

Luke had expected something much more…plain, but what he saw surprised him. Whoever these people were, their technology was only about fifty years behind that of the New Republic's. And of course, the New Republic's technology was waayy behind that of the Empire (no matter what they liked to think).

Beside him, Luke saw Leia's jaw drop.

"I didn't expect this…" she said. Luke smirked.

"Neither did I. But now we know these people have a much higher chance to defeat this new threat." Suddenly, Luke felt a surge of Dark Force energy. From the disturbance in Leia's sense, he could tell she felt it, too. Casually, Luke turned his head to look back out the tunnel entrance. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean it wasn't there.

Pretending like it was nothing, Luke returned his attention to following Aurora and her party, all the while studying his surroundings. His hand rested on the hilt of his lightsaber, ready to draw on a moments notice.

Of course, the surge of Dark Force energy Luke had felt was just Rane getting too close. She'd have to keep her distance if she wanted this mission to be successful.

Rane's crystal eyes narrowed as she studied the entrance. Top security devices as well as guards. But she would make quick work of the guards and their equipment. All she had to do was—

_Rane, if you make a mess, clean it up. _Soruto's voice said calmly in her mind. Rane gritted her teeth, but nodded. She would have rather left the bodies of her victims lying around, striking fear—or at least unease—into those who saw them. But apparently, Master wanted her to stay incognito. She pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head, hiding her face and her silky black hair. Force-leaping down from the rocky outcropping she'd been sitting on, she walked up to the officers.

"Halt. Identification, please." One guard said automatically. The other raised his—was it a blaster?—to her. Rane slightly waved her hand.

"You don't need my identification." She told him, calling on the Force. The guard raised his blaster higher, and Rane could feel other weapons trained on her.

"Yes, I do." He replied. So the mind trick wouldn't work on him. Apparently, he wasn't as weak-minded as she'd anticipated. Maybe with some persuasion…

Rane raised her hand, and Force-pushed the guard into the rock. A blaster went off, but instead of energy bolts, something else flew from the barrel of the weapon. Rane dodged it, and the small object whistled as it flew past her ear. A bolt of Force-lightning shot from her finger tips and hit the guard who'd fired squareint the chest. He yelped as his frame was slammed against the wall. He slumped to the floor, unmoving. More fire flew around her, and it showed no intention of slowing down.

Three guards ran up behind Rane and tried to jump her, but she Forced-pushed them away. They hit the rock at the same time, and a crack could be heard when they hit the wall. That left only one more guard. He shakily raised his weapon, but Rane smirked. She walked calmly up to the guard, and his finger squeezed the trigger. But nothing happened. Of all the bad times to run out of ammo.

"Don't…move." He said, his voice quavering pitifully. Rane laughed.

"Or what?" she taunted. The man gulped, but before he could answer, Rane shoved him up against a wall. She grabbed his neck with her hand and tightened her grip. The man gasped for breath, but Rane wouldn't give him that luxury. She glared at him from under her hood, and used the Force more than her hand to deprive the man of oxygen. He reached for his neck in a futile attempt to pry her fingers from his winid pipe, but went still. Rane grinned and released him. The guard dropped to the floor, but Rane didn't stick around to see if he was dead or not. Like she cared.

After disposing of the bodies as her master had instructed her, she ducked inside the tunnel and pulled her cloak tighter around her, melting into the shadows. She could sense Skywalker and Organa Solo up ahead, as well as that irritatingly familiar presence. Rane folded her wings beneath her cloak and followed them, though only for a short distance. She was tempted to forget her mission and try to eliminate Skywalker, but decided against it.

Focusing her mind on the task ahead, Rane darted into the shadows which were becoming increasingly smaller. She had to find those shield generators.


	6. Decisions

"So, you're saying that there is a madman killer up there and he's going to blow us to smithereens?" Landrey asked incredulously.

"Yup," Luke replied.

Luke, Leia, and Aurora looked extremely tired, after trying, and trying, and trying to convince Landrey and his team of the truth. They were having extreme difficulty, considering the stubbornness of them.

"I guess I'll have to believe you on this one." Landrey said, mainly looking in Aurora's direction. Aurrora had trusted the two and encouraged the SGC people to do the same.

Aurora sighed in relief as he said the magic words. Now there was only one problem left. One _big _problem.

"How are we going to stop him?" she asked.

There was a brief silence. Then, Luke spoke up.

"We could do what we did last time," he said.

"They would not overlook something like that again," Leia replied sourly.

"Excuse me?" Mitchell said, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"We shot a laser into a hole, and the thing exploded." Luke said, slightly amused.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Mitchell.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded. The radio that was next to Landrey buzzed, and a man's voice came through.

"There's someone attacking Major Carter's laboratory! Someone in a black cloak with the hood up. Someone that looks like—"

The man's voice was suddenly cut off. His voice was replaced with another.

"You fool! You thought you could get away from me? Where are the sheild generators?" a female's voice asked, just close enough to the radio to be heard.

Aurora's face paled, suddenly frightened. She knew that voice. She just couldn't remember who it belonged to.

"Where are the shield generators?" the female's voice hissed again.

"Wha—What do you mean?" the man asked, voice shaky, fearful.

"You heard the question." the female snarled. Suddenly, they could hear the squelching of the man trying to take a breath.

"There...are...no...shield...gen—"

The buzzing on the radio suddenly stopped, as the man's finger must have come off the button. That could only mean two things, and it couldn't be the peaceful reason.

"Darth Rane," Luke breathed.

"Who?" asked Aurora.

"Soruto's Sith apprentice," Leia told her.

"Houston, we have a problem," Mitchell said, sighing and reaching for his weapons and vest.

"Indeed." Teal'c affirmed.

* * *

Rane glared at the man's inert body, breathing hard. She hadn't learned anything from him, and had jeopardized her mission with this pointless encounter. He had had just enough time to contact the main control, wherever that was. And wherever it was, whoever it was, knew she was here. Oh, how she loved the loyalty to ones master.

Rane snarled and kicked the man's boot before turning and stalking out of the room. The hate and Dark Force energy that emanated from her shadowy form seemed to dim the lights in the corridor, making it possible to blend in more. She drew her lightsaber and activated it, the low humming the only sound in the hallway. Its crimson blade reflected off the polished walls. Everyone Rane came in contact with didn't have a chance to react before she cut them down. And every form that crumpled beneath her glowing blade was Force-pushed into the nearest room, leaving the ground behind her spotless as per her master's orders.

When she reached what she thought to be the back parts of the base, a smirk pulled the corner of her mouth upwards. She began accessing what doors she could, Force-pushing the ones that stubbornly refused to open. All she saw where sleeping quarters and offices. Nothing of interest, at least, not to a Sith on a mission. Rane kicked the wall, frustrated. Maybe the man was right, and there really weren't any shield generators. But the power had to come from somewhere…

* * *

Soruto glanced out the window of his shuttle, hood covering his face. As usual. He could sense every move Rane made, and he didn't like what he felt. Apparently, something was _not_ going as planned. The Sith thin lips twisted into a snarl, his red feline-like eyes narrowing.

The Imperial officer standing behind Sourto was so scared he seemed about ready to fall unconscious. New to the job, obviously.

"Lieutenant Greye." The Sith said without turning around. The Imperial snapped to attention.

"Y-yes, m'lord?"

"Signal the Death Star it's time to bring in ground troops. Three battalions of stormtroopers, and speeder bikes. I want snipers, assassin droids, the whole package. Surround the planet with Interdictor Cruisers to prevent any vehicles from escaping to hyperspace. Give me what few ysalimiri we were able to require. We don't want Luke, Leia, or…my target able to access the Force. I'll be in charge of contacting Darth Rane. Go." Soruto ordered. Lieutenant Greye saluted and turned on his heel, heading for the cockpit.

"And Lieutenant?"

"Yes, m'lord?"

"Send them in under radar. We don't want to raise suspicions."

"Yes, m'lord." And with that, Greye left the room.

"Get me the Death Star." He growled as he entered the cockpit. The technician at communications nodded, and pressed numerous keys on his control board. In just a few seconds, a hologram of a higher-ranking Imperial officer floated before Greye.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" he drawled, sounding bored.

"We are ready to attack." Greye told the hologram, and relayed Soruto's orders to the Imperial.

"Tell Soruto I'll get right on it. They'll be down in minutes." The hologram flickered and went out. Greye let out a breath and slumped against the control panel.

"Are you all right, sir?" the technichian asked. Greye nodded.

"Just…relieved." He muttered.

* * *

Luke stood from the table, as did everyone else. He could sense that Aurora and Leia were just as relieved as him to have finally gotten through to Landrey and his people. Luke would've loved to stay around and explain more, but he couldn't get the conversation out of his head. The one they'd heard over the intercom. The one that had ended in the loss of one man's life. One man who could have made a difference.

"I have to go and at least gain custody of that Sith. I've learned where there's an apprentice, there's a master. And he could very possibly be here on Earth, as well. I know for a fact no one at this base could handle her, sir." He said. "With your permission, General…"

Landrey eyed Luke for a moment.

"I'm not sure how many would take you for an intruder, considering your attire and the fact that we've just suffered a major breach in security." He replied. Luke nodded.

"I understand your concern, General. But if you don't let me go, or send one of your own teams after her, I guarantee the outcome won't be helpful. It might just make things worse."

"What makes you think you can handle her?" Landrey wondered. Luke looked at the ceiling, thinking for a moment.

"The fact that I've dealt with the Sith before. But I think I must tell you that I _barely_ survived." Luke said hesitantly. Landrey crossed his arms, not looking convinced. Leia stepped in.

"Would it be better if you sent someone with him? I could go, if it would help. I am just as Force-sensitive as him." Leia offered. "And…so is Aurora." Landrey's eyebrows shot up.

"Maybe…But you three are the only chance this base has, if what you say is true. I'm not sure I really want to send you to your deaths yet."

"Teal'c and I'll watch their backs." Colonel Mitchell said.

"I'd like to point out we have a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser in orbit. With a crew of over four hundred trained military professionals. Us three aren't your only hope…we're just a big part of it." Leia said. Landrey sighed.

"Apparently, you two are all for it. But I haven't heard from Aurora yet." He told them. All eyes were suddenly turned to the Soferian. "Aurora?"


	7. Shadows

Aurora silently stared at the radio on the table.

"Something's wrong," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. Then, she spoke up.

"I have to go after this... Sith. I don't think it would be a very good idea if anyone else came along."

"I'm not letting you go alone. You don't even have a lightsaber... a blaster would be pathetic next to the power of the Force, especially the handle a Sith has on it," Luke warned.

"I have a feeling that I won't need a weapon of any sort."

Luke looked at her in surprise, and, obviously, concern for her sanity.

"You won't just be up against a Sith... ground troops are on their way. You'll need something to help you. At least let me come along as your look-out. And don't forget; she is from my galaxy. I'll be the one taking her into custody."

"I am also from your galaxy," Aurora replied icily. "If you want to come as a look-out, fine, but you must do as I say, and if I say to go, go."

Luke shrugged.

"If that's the best I'm going to get, I'll take it. You'll just have to convince Leia." He stepped back to show a seething Leia. Her foot tapped the ground, and her eyes burned into Luke's back.

"You're not getting away from me that easily, _brother_. Think of me as your shadow—I go where you go, and there's nothing you can do to lose me." she growled. Luke looked frustrated.

"Leia, leave it up to Aurora."

"You're not just going to leave your shadow behind. I'm coming, whether she likes it or not."

"Ok, fine, but same conditions," Aurora said.

"Whoa, there. If they're going, we're going too. You'll need to find your way around the base," Mitchell said.

"Sorry, but you have a planet to defend. I suggest you get all the allies you can to help... Maybe some with good ships?" Aurora answered.

"But—" Sam said.

"No," Aurora growled, cutting her off. Luke stepped in.

"The New Republic can spare some troops. We have fully trained fighter squadrons that can help with the space battle, too," he told them. Leia nodded.

"Alright," Landrey said. "Now that we have this figured out, why are we still standing here?"

The people in the room filed out and headed off in the direction of their stations.

Aurora led Luke and Leia out of the briefing room, and through the passageway. A few times they turned into rooms, just to find signs of violence, bodies laying on the floor, and everywhere. A sure trail leading to the Sith.

"That's just sad that she can stand doing that," Aurora said as she checked for a pulse on a guard, already knowing that there would be none there. Luke nodded, but silently surveyed the damage. Leia, on the other hand, was checking other rooms.

"Well, wherever she is, it is certainly not on this level," she commented. "Let's keep moving."

A few moments later they found a door, opened just enough for someone small to slip through.

"It must have been the Sith," Aurora said. "These doors...they are extremely secure."

Through the opening, they saw a small door to a room swinging shut. That was the only movement they had seen, seeing as the guards were either unconscious or dead.

Luke closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, and immediately withdrew, grimacing. A sharp, stinging pain blazed through his mind like lightning, but disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"It's her, alright," he muttered, rubbing the side of his head.

"Let me see if I can talk to her, to stall her," Aurora said.

"Be careful," Luke warned.

Aurora closed her eyes. She reached out, trying to touch the mind of the Sith, and quickly found it. There wasn't anything to stop her, so she went deeper in.

_Hey! You know that you're taking innocent lives? I thought you were coming to take over this planet. If you want to conquer it and have people to control, then why are you killing them off?! _Aurora shouted silently.

After a few moments of waiting for the Sith to answer, which she didn't, Aurora, frustrated, turned to her companions.

"Let's keep going."

Rane felt the presence of the trio she was trying to avoid long before they saw her. Of course, that included the annoyingly familiar and strangely weird buzzing in the back of her mind. Rane made the mistake of accidentally pushing open a door, betraying the fact that she was indeed hidden in the shadows. She ducked back and winced when she felt Luke touch her mind. White-hot rage spread through her like wildfire, and she sent it exploding back at him. He recoiled, but not before he got one hell of a migraine.

Rane smirked, but it quickly faded when she felt that buzzing sense touch her mind. To Rane's surprise, the presence spoke.

_Hey! You know that you're taking innocent lives? I thought you were coming to take over this planet. If you want to conquer it and have people to control, then why are you killing them off?!_

The Sith stood there, stunned, but only for a moment. Then, quickly realizing her thoughts were open to the public, concentrated her brain patterns to form an impenetrable wall around her mind. The buzzing noise was slowly forced from the depths of Rane's subconscious. Fighting back the urge to whip something smart and painful toward the thing, she remained mentally silent and slipped back into a recessed hallway.

It appeared to be unused, and was coated in a fine layer of dust. The corridor was unusually narrow, giving her wings no room whatsoever. Obviously, it wasn't designed with comfort in mind. Growling, Rane pulled her wings uncomfortably close to her body and set off at a steady jog. When she came to a larger space in the hallway, she fit herself snugly inside an access panel and drew her lightsaber, without activating it. No dust had been disturbed in the process. Now she was like an ambush predator. Waiting, watching, and never taking her eyes off of her hunting grounds. Of course, they would still sense her.

Suddenly, it was like Rane had become blind in the Force. She felt no contact with it at all, and at first, it scared her. Until she realized—

_Ysalamiri_.

Of course. Soruto had surrounded the base with the salamander-like creatures. It would cut off all contact with the Force, including the splinter group that was so avidly searching for her. Which meant that an attack was underway. Even as she thought these things, she knew Interdictor Cruisers were surrounding the planet and preventing the jump to hyperspace. Battalions of stormtroopers would soon be unloading from cloaked shuttle craft. The one-man fighters would be unleashed on the Earth, and the Death Star was an ever-present threat to this defenseless planet.

So much destruction…so little time. Grinning widely, another comforting thought struck Rane. The splinter group could no longer sense her. Which meant: her attack would be completely by surprise.

Aurora peered around the corner. It was a small passageway. Too small.

"This is tiny. I don't think she would be down here," Leia said.

"You never know with Sith," Luke replied.

Aurora stayed silent. Studying the floor, she saw a bunch of dust. There were no footprints. Siths were devious, she thought.

"I'll look down there, just the same," she said.

"Be—" Luke started.

"I KNOW! Be careful. Whatever," Aurora hiss quietly, cutting him off.

Aurora turned away from his concerned face, and walked down the corridor. The other two quickly followed, but didn't say a word. Suddenly, an access panel they had just passed burst open. Aurora whirled around.

At the sight of the black shrouded figure, her face drained of blood. _The Sith! _she thought. The cloak's hood fell down as the figure stumbled in shock, showing the face. A face that mirrored Aurora's, the only noticeable difference being her eyes. The Sith's eyes were ice blue and penetrating, chilling Aurora to the bone. Aurora knew those eyes.

"Alana?" she whispered faintly.


	8. Remembering

Rane leapt out of the access panel, lightsaber in hand. Her hood fell off her sleek black hair, revealing her face. And as she turned her head, she gasped. It was like looking into a mirror.

Rane saw her face…only this face had placid green eyes, filled with the same surprise Rane herself felt. This was that irritatingly familiar presence. The one that had sat in the back of her mind like an unscratched itch. An emotion filled her, one she only felt while looking into the face of her master. Fear. Swearing in her native tongue, she activated the crimson blade of her lightsaber. It was time to leave.

Without hesitating, Rane turned sharply on her heel and bolted around the corner. She hadn't gotten very far when something deep in her subconscious clicked. All at once, her mind was flooded with memories that had been locked up, kept away, for years. The force of all the hundreds of sights, sounds, smells, and images literally threw Rane forward. She tripped and fell to the floor, hitting the ground with a dull thud. The force knocked the wind from her lungs and sent her lightsaber spinning across the tile floor. Its blade quickly deactivated.

Rane didn't notice, though. She didn't feel the impact, or hear footsteps coming up behind her. But she could smell the smoke, hear the screaming and the blaster fire in a foggy clarity that only dreams could create. And with it all, she could feel heat from the fires on her face.

_A blaster fired, and someone screamed. The sound of death was everywhere. Creature's roared as they tried to protect their homes, but to no avail. Troops clad in white armor kicked in doors, and she had wanted to turn away from the scene. Alana was watching it all through a small window, watching the destruction around her. But something held her gaze, kept it locked on the fires and smoke that was eating up her once beautiful city. Something grabbed her from behind, and she almost screamed. She sighed in relief when she realized it was only her father. His face was filled with sadness and his voice was pained when he spoke. _

_"Come. Your sister is waiting. We must leave, now," he said. _

_"What about Momma?" Alana asked quietly. Her father turned away and swept her off her feet. He didn't dare answer her question. _

_He carried Alana and her sister through the doors of their house, toward the back exit. Behind them, she heard the sound of splintering wood as someone barged in the door. Her father ran faster, and finally made it outside to their ship. Her father threw the two girls inside, and quickly followed them. He shut the hatch and rushed to the cockpit, starting the engine and lifting into the upper atmosphere. Only when they could see their planet as a tiny speck of color in the blackness of space did he return to them. _

_"Something terrible has happened," he said. _

_Hours later…_

_They were floating in space, on their way to the other side of the now Imperial-infested galaxy. What they knew as their past was behind them, and Alana's father picked them up and carried them to their room. _

_"Try to get some sleep. You have had a long day, and I will explain it all in the morning," _

_They didn't sleep long. Alana closed her eyes, and the next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake by her sister. _

_"Wake up! We were pulled out of hyperspace! Please wake up!" _

_Alana sat up in bed. "What about Daddy? What did he say?" she asked. Her sister pointed toward the escape pods in the back of the ship. _

_"He said to get in one of them and not press the green button until he said 'Now'," Her sister jumped out of bed, and Alana followed. They raced to the door, and it slid open, only to reveal Togarian pirates trashing the hall. Alana screamed and ran to the pod, her sister not far behind. _

_They lunged for the pod, their cloaks billowing around them. The cloaks that used to be white, but were now stained silver with blood, and black with dirt. She leaped into the pod, and her sister followed. She saw a Togarian running towards them, blaster aimed for them. Alana heard her father scream, "Now!", and she and her sister pushed as hard as they could on the green button, shutting the door and jettisoning the pod right as the space pirate fired. She huddled close to her sister, their filthy black hair hanging over their eyes. They turned to the window, and saw their ship—with their father still in it—blasted to space dust before their eyes. Alana turned to her sister, tears running down her dirty face. _

_"What do we do now, Aurora?" _

_Her sister only looked at her, tears streaming from her eyes as well. There was a moment of silence, and then they sagged toward each other, crying. They hugged each other, sobbing uncontrollably as the realization of what had just happened settled in on them. _

_The pod crashed on Coruscant. Oh, what luck to land on the world that housed the center of all Imperial operations. Frightened, the two girls huddled in the back of the pod. They were alive, but they could hear the sounds of troops coming towards them. If they were found, they would probably never escape this pod with their lives. And only because of the race they were born into. When it seemed their impending doom was sealed, a male voice broke into the chatter of the troops among themselves. _

_"Oh look, more space garbage that crashed from the sky. Did you know this is the fourth one today?" _

_The voice of the lead trooper reached their ears. _

_"So true. These always seem to come crashing down more often. The officers just love to do target practice on them while testing their new fire power. But this one came from a different area." _

_The male voice spoke again. "So they are doing moving targets? You have much better stuff to be doing than cleaning up space garbage. As a good citizen, I'll take care of it." There was a pause, and then the sound of the troopers moving away. A moment later, the hatch to the pod opened and a male human stuck his head in. He looked shocked to see two young girls of the rarest species inside. He tilted his head and he smiled, trying to comfort them. _

_"You will be okay. The troops are gone." _

_Alana and her sister were wary, but eventually stepped out. They wrapped their torn cloaks around them, and tried to smile. He was obviously a friend, and they both had the feeling they were safe for the time being. Sure enough, he took them home, introduced them to his family, and kept them hidden. She was grateful, and the horrific night was forgotten. Until a few years later, when the horrible memories replayed themselves in her life again. _

_Two years later…_

_Fire crackled, engulfing her adopted family—and their apartment—in flames. She stood there with tears running down her grimy, soot-covered cheeks. The wreckage that had been her home, her second home, was now in ruins. Her beloved family was burning as was her sister, and she had by some miracle escaped. Alana sank to her knees and put her head in her hands, her entire body shaking as she cried. A dark shadow fell over her, making her look up. His voice cut through the acrid smoke like a knife. _

_"You are the_ last _of your kind, now, my...apprentice..."_

_She was too tired to fear, and in too much pain to care. She did not put up a fight, and in the end she regretted it._

_The training was hard, grueling. Alana was broken, her spirit diminished until she was just a servant to his every whim. Her body ached, and the one trademark of her species was hidden behind the thick black cloak she wore. She was one of them, no matter how much she hated it. Her master watched on with an evil grin, though it was hidden by the shadows cast by the hood of his own cloak. The original ruling of the galaxy would fall, and when it did, he would take over. He would be patient, and it would eventually pay off. Eventually…_

It was her past. She was Alana. Not Darth Rane. Darth Rane should never have existed, and now was dead. Alana was back. She blinked, the memory only lasting the span of a second. The smell of acrid smoke was gone, the screams of dying creatures no longer ringing in her ears. Instead, she could hear the dull hum of a lightsaber, and three pairs of footsteps approaching her. Skywalker, Organa Solo, and Aurora, her sister. Her _twin _sister.

_I'm on their side now _Alana thought. But that wouldn't matter. She'd done what she'd done, and she was still at fault. If she was caught, she'd have a jail sentence—or worse. Death.

Alana lifted her head and outstretched her arm, calling on the Force. But the Force was not with her. And just like that, Alana knew the ysalamiri that were supposed to be aiding the attack had condemned her. Looking up, Alana saw the determined face of Skywalker. Gripped tightly in his left hand was Alana's hilt, deactivated and useless to her. Held even tighter in his right hand was his own lightsaber, the brilliant green-white blade buzzing.

Their gazes locked, and remained so for several seconds, until Alana realized there was no way out. She had to admit that, even to herself. Reluctantly, she lowered her head, admitting defeat. Her blue wings wilted behind her. Reaching down, Luke grabbed her arm and pulled Alana roughly to her feet. His eyes were hard and his voice was firm as he delivered what Alana knew he'd so wanted to say for so long.

"You are under arrest, _Darth_ Rane."


	9. Loyalties

**Hey, Darth Rane here. Sorry I have been gone for so long. Like, years. Wow. My friend and I started this in sixth grade, and we are now in….tenth grade. My computer crashed, tragedy struck, and I kind of forgot to upload this. Wow. Again. I am so sorry to keep you guys waiting. DX  
**

**But I've got good news. :3 I will try to be updating about once every week or so, maybe more often so I don't forget. My friend and I have finished the first "book", as we call it, and are working on the second. We have plans for a third, and to those of you complaining about the lack of Stargate and all that: we incorporate it all. In a big way. Like, life changing. :o Patience is a virtue, my friends. Patience is a virtue.  
**

**Thanks for *hopefully* sticking with us through this. I can't believe that I'm still getting favorites when I haven't updated in a long time. I owe you all so much more than I can offer. Enjoy this chapter. I promise, more are to come.**

**~Darth Rane**

* * *

Aurora stumbled backwards and slid down the wall as Luke chased the running figure around the corner. Memories cam flooding back, times when she was angry, when she was sad, her adoring family, and when almost the whole Soferian race had died out. She saw what happened on her family's ship after she, her sister, and her father escaped Sofera. She saw the flames surrounding her as she escaped out in the back of the apartment, her second home, only to be caught by a storm trooper.

"Aurora! Aurora, are you all right?" Leia asked, voice frightened. Aurora shakily stood up, ignoring Leia completely. The Soferian sprinted around the corner where Luke held Alana, Leia not far behind.

"Don't kill her!" Aurora screamed at Luke the moment she ran around the corner.

"I wasn't going to. Not yet," Luke said, steely blue eyes still on Alana.

"Look at me," Aurora said quietly. "Promise me you won't kill her!" she said, raising her voice, tears streaming down her face.

"Why do you want her to live so badly?" Luke asked, clearly surprised….and a tad suspicious.

"She's my sister!" Aurora said, sobbing. The Jedi blinked. _That_ was unexpected. And hard to believe.

Nonetheless, Luke stepped out of the way, watching both Soferians carefully, as the two sisters hugged. Now that it had been mentioned, they did look alike. If it weren't for the different colored wings, eyes, and scales on their forearms, one couldn't tell them apart.

"I'll not let them kill you. Not even over my dead body will I let them kill you," Aurora whispered to her twin sister as they broke apart, tears running down both of their faces because of the happy times they had lost. "Never."

Alana looked away, unable to look her sister in the eye. She didn't deserve this. None of it. She pulled away from Aurora, eyes still on the ground, unable to face what she'd done.

"Aurora, you know that you can't just let them keep me alive because I'm your sister. Sure, I was a victim of Soruto, but I still did what I did. The New Republic is going to have to do something to me, no matter how much of what I did was Soruto's fault." she choked out, realizing that meant death. _Death_. She tried not to cringe at the thought of the word. Luke stepped up behind Alana, voice hard yet at the same time sympathetic.

"She's right, Aurora. Even though the same thing happened to my father, should he still be alive, the New Republic wouldn't just accept that he'd "come back from the dark side". Something would have happened to him—though I'm not sure how severe his punishment would've been. I'm not going to kill her, but she will most certainly be going to prison." he said. Leia nodded behind him.

"She'll have a fair trial, but justice must be served. No matter how unfairly it treats some. And we can't completely take yours—or Alana's—word for it."

"We'll just have to see what the Council says. And I'm afraid that if the Council thinks she is still too dangerous to be left alive, well…" Luke's voice trailed off, knowing he need not say more. Alana stared at him, feeling something she hadn't felt for a long time. _Fear_. And anger, there would always be anger, but mostly it was fear. Fear of death, fear of whatever painful punishment the New Republic would deem "justice". But she knew he was right. There was still evil hidden somewhere in her, and there always would be. After what she'd gone through, if Soruto ever got her back, it could send her spiraling back into her old self. Some place that was so familiar she would go willingly, she knew.

"I'm sorry, Aurora." Alana said, though she knew it was too quiet for anyone to hear. "I'm so, so sorry."

Aurora trailed behind her companions, lost in thought. She meant what she said—she would not let Alana die, whatever the Council said. Whatever happened, she would make sure it would not be death. Aurora did not believe that Alana could be all evil—what she did was under the influence of Soruto, and Alana couldn't do anything about it, as the both of them were temporarily brainwashed by him. Aurora didn't want to think about the alternative.

"What are we going to do now?" Leia's voice drifted through her thoughts.

"We'll have to get out of this base. We need to help Landrey and his people defend the planet. I don't think it will be easy. They stationed ysalamiri around the base. We'll have to go on pure skill."

"There are more than that. There's as strike force of over a hundred thousand. Don't forget the space craft outside," Alana said. Her tone was dull.

"How can we trust that?" Luke asked.

"I want to prove myself. There's no denying that what I did was wrong. Just let me fight, and help. I know you won't trust me until I actually do something useful to the New Republic," she answered.

Aurora looked up. There was a possibility...

Luke frowned. This had been a Sith in training, and there was no telling what she could do. But then, there was the usefulness of all her skill, and her knowledge of the enemy.

"I….don't know. It might help if you work with us. But what will happen if Soruto meets you?

"He'll have me to answer for," Aurora stepped in.

"There's no way you could stand up to Soruto, Aurora," Luke said bluntly, then added in a gentler tone, "He's been training for years. You've never had training of any sort."

"You're forgetting my capabilities," Aurora replied icily.

"And what's that? Shape-shifting? I don't know how tough your scales are, but I'm sure they couldn't stand up to lightsaber, or even a blaster,"

Aurora's expression melting into something of annoyance, and she opened her mouth to answer.

"Hey! We can do this without arguing, thank you very much!" Alana snarled, stepping between the two of them. Luke turned his eyes to her, a warning etched in every line of his face. She quickly adopted a look of repentance. At least Aurora had let the matter drop.

"We might as well be getting to the tunnel," Leia said, changing the subject and marching briskly ahead.


	10. Battlefield

Alana glared at her sister, but still didn't look Aurora in the eye. Or Luke, or anyone, for that matter. She was still unsure about what side she was on, and didn't know what her eyes would reveal about her indecision. Were memories enough to support her sudden change in loyalties? Sure, she felt lied to and cheated by Soruto, but she'd felt that all her life. It had kindled her burning hatred; it was nothing new. The only remarkable development was the fact that Alana now had a sister, and, well...it didn't seem like enough to her. But she didn't want to tell Aurora or the Jedi that. One slip up and it would be the electric chair for her.

"Now is not the time to argue over pointless subjects," Alana interrupted, still averting her eyes. "Aurora, you don't stand a chance against Soruto, even though you can shape-shift. That would do you _nothing_ because Soruto has had plenty of practice dealing with me. Getting through you would be like taming a bantha. Way too easy. So, for the time being, forget about him. We have to deal with the ground troops first, anyway." Alana's tone was hard and carried the hint of a threat. It was the voice she'd used when talking to officers lower than her. In other words, most everyone who wasn't her master.

"But—"

"Drop it, Aurora," Leia spoke decisively over her shoulder. Aurora sighed, but let the matter rest. Leia led the party down the hall, towards the entrance tunnel. The halls were deserted . It didn't take very long to reach the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain.

_Odd..._ Alana thought. But when they actually stepped out into the fresh air, the group saw that it wasn't so fresh. Thick black smoke laced with the smell of ozone and blaster fire permeated the air. AT-STs marched in orderly lines, not bothering to hide from the return fire directed at them. To everyone but Alana's surprise, droids from the Clone Wars era were intermixed in the sea of white-clad stormtroopers. Everything from a spindly-legged battle droid to an intimidating droideka was present. It appeared Soruto had struck the Trade Federation jackpot.

Wave after wave of droids and stormtroopers came over the rise, spitting fire like there was no tomorrow. Mixed in with the SGC troops were the black-vested Rebels, along with Bothans and the occasional modified landspeeder.

All around them, stormtroopers and battle droids fell. But for every enemy unit dropped, two Rebels or SGC personnel bit the dust. Soruto's troops just kept coming, where as the defending forces were losing more than they could replace. It didn't take a genius to know they were seriously outnumbered.

At the sight of it all, a touch of pride rose in Alana as she realized she could still return to Soruto. She could be on the winning side, stand by her master, gaze out from the deck of a Star Destroyer at the small blue-green planet that marked the first step in their take over of the Milky Way. But Alana could see Aurora out of the corners of her eyes, and to leave her sister was unthinkable. Indecision must have been evident on her face, because Luke shot her a calculating look. Something like harsh understanding glittered in his eyes.

"I know you want to go back. But understand that if you do, not even your sister can protect you from the New Republic."

Alana nodded, gritted her teeth, and shoved the thought from her mind.

Before she had a chance to respond, an AT-ST chose them as its next target and sent a barrage of blaster bolts in their direction. Everyone dodged it just in time, but the fire did manage to chop a large chunk out of the side of the mountain. The stone fell, and with the Force not available to them, neither Luke nor Alana could stop it.

The large rock hit the ground, bringing with it an avalanche of "smaller" stones, varying in size from pebbles to the size of car tires. The rock slide buried the AT-ST, but separated the group. Luke and Aurora on one side, Leia and Alana on the other. And judging by how it fell, the only way to cross the large rock slide was to Force jump, an ability neither Alana nor Luke could use at the moment. Flying would only result in the two Soferian's wings getting shredded, taking into account the never-ending barrage of blaster fire that crisscrossed through the hazy air and over the rockslide, even though there were no particular targets. The separation left Alana weaponless and unguarded, and Leia armed with only a blaster.

Aurora stared in dismay at the large pile of rock standing between her and Alana. Inwardly she groaned. Separated from her sister yet again.

She turned to Luke, who looked completely and utterly relaxed despite almost being crushed beneath two tons of unforgiving rock.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

Luke wanted to tell the untrained girl to go find shelter, but there was no shelter to be found anywhere. The Imperial forces were blocking the only escape route, and the rockslide kept Aurora from retreating back into Cheyenne Mountain. Without any means of protecting herself, the Soferian was a sitting duck. "You need a weapon," he yelled over the din of the battle. Under normal circumstances, the Jedi would have sawed his own arm off rather than give a weapon to the Soferian, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And the only weapon he had on him, aside from his own lightsaber, was Alana's confiscated one. He reluctantly handed it to Aurora. She held the weapon like one might hold a venomous snake.

"I've never used one of these before! How do you know I won't cut my arm off?" she shouted back, a bit surprised that he was trusting her with the lightsaber.

"Just do this," Luke answered. He held out his own lightsaber where she could see, and thumbed the trigger switch. A green blade erupted from the end of the hilt, bringing with it a stead,y reverberating hum that could be heard beneath the chorus of the battle. The Jedi waved the green blade back and forth in front of him. "You don't have to do anything special, unless you want to block blaster fire," he said seriously. "For that, you need the Force, but neither of us will be able to. The ysalimari have taken care of that. Just use it like a sword. You wouldn't want a sword to hit you. The same principle applies here."

Aurora stared at the swift graceful moves he made with the weapon. He couldn't expect her to move like that, could he? Hesitantly, she pushed the switch, being sure to keep the weapon a good distance aware from her body. A long, shimmering crimson blade appeared at the end. She did a few practice moves and the Jedi nodded approvingly. He wasn't the most comfortable with the set up, but it was better than nothing.

"Just remember not to gouge yourself with it and you'll be fine," he reassured her.

Aurora took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

* * *

Blasterfire from the AT-STs sent molten bits of rock flying from the massive slide Alana was sheltering behind. They landed on her and instantly burned holes in her clothing, searing her skin. She snarled and brushed the flawing bits from her skin. This was not the best place to hide, evidently.

Glancing over at Organa Solo, Alana saw she seemed to be staying alive quite well. Well, so was the Soferian, but that was the spawn of pure luck and cowaradice. At least Organa Solo had a weapon. Alana, on the other hand, was unarmed and an easy target with her easily-scene wings. The New Republic troops were shooting at her because they recognized Alana as Darth Rane from that stupid holo message they'd intercepted, and the droids had never seen her before, so they just assumed she was the enemy. Everyone's fire seemed to be centered on her.

Alana darted another barrage of laser fire from the AT-ST, her annoyance at her helplessness quickly escalating into a seething anger. Had the Force been with her, that AT-ST would be reduced to nothing more than a pile of molten metal. Over the years, she'd found that Force lightening was most helpful when dealing with numerous enemies. But of course, those stupid ysalamiri had blocked the Force.

"Man, what I wouldn't give for my lightsaber right now," She muttered. Just then, a couple of droidekas decided they had nothing better to do. Of course, they began to shoot at her.

"Burn in hell, you miserable piles of scrap metal!"

With a growl, Alana shape-shifted into her large, reptilian form and unleashed a stream of ice toward the droids. A few stormtroopers turned towards her, and froze in fear. But their shock passed and they all resumed the battle, shooting at the giant blue dragon spitting ice all over them.

_What a marvelous idea shape-shifting was, _Alana thought dryly. At least she wasn't defenseless anymore, but the blaster fire stung even through her rock-hard scales. She hoped the battle would be over soon, and, despite the events of the last few minutes, Alana found herself rooting for Soruto's side.


	11. Warning

**Hah. See what I did there? I waited an extra day to update. Probably scared you all to death. Actually, I'm just super busy. I forgot. *sheepish look* But it's here now, though completely unedited, so I'll probably be back on later tonight and this will be drastically changed.**

**Also, I would like to thank our newest reviewer. Your constructive criticism has been so useful in the improvement of my writing and character development. My friend and I are indebted to you for your eye-opining words. Truly, you are one of the great authors of this world who has never done anything wrong in your whole entire life. Again, thank you so much. _So much_.**

**As for the rest of you, enjoy this chapter. :D**

**~Darth Rane**

* * *

Aurora fought beside Luke with the lightsaber in hand. She hated it. It was a thing made to kill, and to destroy. Aurora was not that kind of person. Or Soferian, to be accurate. At every stroke she made, she wanted to throw the thing down and smash it. Of course, she couldn't. It was the only thing standing between her and the enemy forces, besides her in her dragon form. But Aurora didn't want to get hit by a blaster, and bigger objects were easier to hit than smaller forms.

"I can't do this forever!" Aurora shouted at Luke. Her arms were growing tired, as she didn't have much stamina.

"It's either fight or be killed. Your choice!" Luke shouted back, completely unsympathetic, sticking a near by droid in the back that was trying to kill a fighter. SGC, by his apparel.

Aurora gritted her teeth She was getting nowhere. Deciding to do the thing she dreaded most, she changed form.

Luke, momentarily shocked, stared up at the towering form of the black and green dragon. But the battle called him back and he danced away from the proud reptile.

Aurora heard a roar, presumably from Alana on the other side of the rock barrier. Aurora roared back, defiant to the droids, and all of the imperial idiots that thought to ruin her day by shooting at her.

Poison would do nothing to the droids-that was an Earth Soferian's main weapon, so she decided to just smash her way through the waves of droids.

_Fine by me!_ she thought, silently challenging the enemy.

* * *

Back on the other side of the rockslide, an answering roar sliced through the noise of the battle. Alana would've smirked if her reptilian face had been capable of facial expression. She swung her massive tail, knocking out even the shielded droidekas. Another stream of ice cascaded from her open maw, and the blank white eyes of her dragon form were narrowed in fury. And enjoyment; she couldn't deny the rush the flooded through her every time she sent a trooper to its grave. Alana plowed her way through the ranks, anger eating away at her, fueling her through the battle.

Blaster fire peppered the ground around her, in front of her, behind her. Yet for some odd reason, it was no longer flying directly at her. But, predictably, at the moment she noticed this, one of the many AT-STs took aim at her. A blaster bolt was thrown from the barrel of its weaponry. It was point blank range, but the bolt missed her by a hair. Why was the Imperial's aim so off? Unable to afford the time to pause and puzzle over the mystery, Alana continued her rampage.

Soon, however, droids and stormtroopers alike were smart enough to get out of her way. She reached the outskirts of the battle, and the edge of the dividing slide. Glancing around the other side, she saw her sister fighting valiantly. In dragon form, of course. Beside her, a green-white blade flashing in a dizzying array of attacks and parries. They were holding up, at least.

Not bothering to follow their progress anymore, the Ice Dragon dove toward the Imperial Shuttles departing from the planet. Retreating, or going back to the command ships for reinforcements? With a mighty leap, she lunged forward. A stream of ice lashed out toward the nearest one, engulfing it in the solid substance. It fell like a rock, and shattered into pieces on the ground.

Noticing the threat approaching from behind, the shuttles turned to attack, and even though their weapons systems were not state-of-the-art, they could easily take down a dragon. Or two. Or ten. She'd seen it happen. She spat ice towards the first one, but the shields were up, and her attack did not penetrate. Alana had no such shields. Green cannon fire lashed out from the shuttles, much bigger and more deadly then the simple energy the AT-STs were equipped with. A bolt exploded beside her, catching her at an awkward time in flight. But it didn't hit her.

Dazed, the dragon righted herself. But it was too late. The shuttles were already streaking toward the upper atmosphere. Out of range. Fury flooded her mind.

"You stupid bastards!" she snarled after them, before turning tail and fleeing for the planet's surface. To her dismay, she found that the Empire now on the verge of a take over. And suddenly, she felt the ground shake slightly beneath her feet. She knew in that microsecond what had happened.

"What? NO! It's not _possible_!" she whispered to herself. But there was no other logical explanation for the tremor beneath her claws. How? How had Soruto been able to manage it?

* * *

Aurora fought valiantly beside Luke, barely holding her own, all the while hoping that somehow Earth's protecting forces would drag themselves out of this mess. It was hopeless, though. Soruto was close to conquering, and too many fighters were dying. Too many.

Suddenly, Aurora felt the ground beneath her tremble. Frantically, she glanced at Luke. Instead of shock, for the briefest moment, the unshakeable Jedi looked worried. What had caused that? It was certainly the Empire, which could in no way be good.

Distracted by the tremors, Aurora dropped her defenses and stood still. The moment she realized she was a sitting duck, the Earth Soferian jumped back into the battle. _Too late_. Aurora roared in pain as blaster fire hit her back leg. Her scales weren't as thick as she'd hoped; fire burned through the wound, crippling her leg. The wound was superficial, but it hurt like hell and meant she was now fighting on three legs. It had been hard enough on four.

She was no good in the battle; she need to find someplace to get away from the carnage. But Luke was no where to be found amid the mess of the battle. Having no other choice, Aurora made the change into her humanoid form. Excruciating pain traveled down her injured limb as it twisted and morphed, trying to return to it's smaller shape. The transformation down, Aurora dropped to her knees, exhausted. But she couldn't afford to stay down. How stupid of her to drop that damn lightsaber. She had no weapon now, and therefore needed to find shelter, needed to get out of the midst of the battle.

Her point was proven when she was once more picked as a prime target for the Imperial forces.

_Oh, Fates, no! _"Luke! Help!" She cried out. But Luke wasn't there. He'd move on, leaving her in the dust. How stupid of him to leave her. Aurora reached for an abandoned Jaffa staff lying beside her. Her scaled fingers were millimeters from the smooth metal shaft when a foot clad in white kicked the weapon away from her.

And not a millisecond later, the stormtrooper poised to kill her went flying backwards, propelled by a blast of red energy. Aurora learned her lesson not to hesitate with her life on the line. She curled her fingers around the shaft the Jaffa weapon and sat up, prepared to fire on whoever threatened her next. But she saw that it was not a threat she was faced with; it was a Jaffa, his dark chocolate skin giving him away. It was Teal'c who'd saved her.

"Thank you," was all Aurora could say.

Teal'c nodded and gripped her hand in his, hauling her to her feet before charging back into the battle, baring his own Jaffa staff weapon as though it were an extension of his body.

* * *

Swinging around, her tail cutting down at least half of the droids that had been firing at her, Alana's white eyes narrowed as another slight tremor shook the ground. A low growl rose in her throat. The planetary shields hadn't been lowered-her sister's appearance had solidified that fact. And the Empire didn't have a super weapon with the computer intelligence to lower the shields on its own, or target the planet with its shields still up (at least not to her knowledge). The only logical explanation was that the tractor beam was powerful enough and wide enough to lock onto Earth without using computers. If that was the case, Alana hadn't been told. Why-?

Soruto. The slimy Sith Lord hadn't informed her. Unfortunately for her, he was smart. Smarter than a dragon. Alana roared in anger, and dove back into the battle. Blaster fire whizzed around her, but she was unfeeling and didn't really care. Fury clouded her mind, twisting into hatred. If she was hit, she didn't feel it. Anger controlled her. It was her master, like it had been her whole life. An old, comforting friend.

Through the intense cloud of fury, Alana knew she had to warn Luke. But there was no safe way around the rock slide. The only thing Alana could think of would be to warn her sister, who had no doubt stuck close to the cocky Jedi Master. She should be able to communicate with her sister from a distance, shouldn't she Normally, Soferians developed a telepathic link with those closest to them early on. After years of unuse, Alana could only hope that link was still intact between her and her twin.

_Soruto has a hold on the planet. I'm not sure how, but they do. Please tell me that the shields aren't the planet's only defenses. If they are, then planet must be evacuated, or everyone on it will be killed._


	12. New Hopes

Aurora fought as best as she could with a crippled leg, but it was no use. All she could do was to swing around the lightsaber with her left hand while her other hand gripped the Jaffa weapon to keep her balance. Leaning heavily on the staff, she backed away to a safe spot and took in her surroundings. Innocent people dying for the rest of the planet. It was sad. Aurora did not think that the planet stood a chance.

Then a thought came through her head, something that was not her own.

Soruto has a hold on the planet. I'm not sure how, but they do. Please tell me that the shields aren't the planet's only defenses. If they are….The planet must be evacuated, or the planet risks destruction.

"I didn't know we could do that," Aurora muttered to herself. Her sister had sent her a telepathic message. Without using the Force.

"I will go and warn Sam," Aurora said silently, wondering if her message would make it to her sister. "Maybe she can raise the planet's defenses and get rid of the Empire's lock on the planet."

"Hurry."

It took Aurora a few moments to locate Sam, but when she did, the Soferian quickly hobbled-or as quickly as she could manage, given her awkward predicament-to the place where the SGC woman was taking refuge, reloading her gun.

"You have to go!" Aurora yelled over the sounds of battle. "The Death Star has a lock on the planet, and you have to raise the planet's defenses, otherwise we'll be turned into space rubble!"

"What?" Sam yelled back, unable to hear her. Aurora took a deep breath and practically screamed, "Go! You must raise the planet's defenses!"

Understanding dawned on her. Sam nodded curtly and ran to the entrance without hesitation. As she turned around the corner out of sight, Aurora wondered how things would turn out. The defensive forces were dwindling, she was useless with her Jaffa "cane" and "lightsaber skills", and it was doubtful Sam would be able to raise Earth's defenses before Soruto obliterated them.

All of a sudden, dark men in a kind of metal armor came pouring out of the tunnel entrance. Hundreds-no, thousands-entered the battlefield. Aurora realized that Teal'c was wearing the same kind of armor-the warriors had to be Teal'c's people.

The warriors came rushing onto the field, yelling their battle cries. Aurora looked after them with new hope. The tides of the battle had to be turning.

After hearing Aurora's acknowledgement, the Alana nodded to herself and turned back to the battle. Her left wing hung limp and useless at her side, and she was sure she had all sorts of scratches, bruises, and burns from her fall off the rock and the hot blaster fire flying around her. Suddenly, from somewhere on the other side of the rock, she heard a symphony of battle cries. Fresh voices, which could only mean one thing.

Reinforcements have arrived! she thought to herself. And then, as though the fresh troops weren't enough, she felt something rush through her body, energizing her. The world was suddenly crystal clear. It was as though she'd stepped from smother darkness into fluorescent light. The Force was back.

"How-?"she stopped herself. The space battle! There was still a dogfight taking place above the planet, and the must have knocked out enough ysalamiri to allow the Force back onto this part of the planet. Immediately, she shed her scales, ignoring the pain in her injured parts, and took her Soferian form. Alana was fully confident she could do something useful as a humanoid now. Finally, the battle was turning in their favor.

Then, as if to remind her they weren't out of the woods yet, another tremor-stronger than all the last-rocked the planet. The shields still weren't up. Alana could feel a growing uneasiness, wondering what weapon Soruto would choose to unleash on this planet. Each was equally bad.

Once again Alana pushed the negative thoughts from her mind. She rushed to rejoin the battle, limping slightly on her left leg. Now that the Force was with her, she sent enemy troops sprawling onto the tarmac with a wave of her hand.

Suddenly, there was a slight ripple in the Force, and Alana jerked her head up.

What was that? She couldn't place what she felt…there was so much confusion and fear out there, it was hard for her to even pick up and sort out Luke's or Aurora's sense. Maybe it was the shields going up, or maybe Soruto had just set foot on the planet. She had no way to know. Mentally, Alana sent a warning to both Luke and Aurora.

"Something just happened...though I'm not sure what. Be extra careful and alert."

Soruto looked down at Earth below him in rage. According to the fighters down on the planet, his forces were diminishing at an alarming rate, and the battle in space wasn't doing fantastic, either. The ysalimiri had been shot down. The Death Star's lock on the planet was barely holding, and they couldn't get a clear shot at Earth. The planet's shields were doing their job-much to the wrath of the Sith.

"Shall I order a retreat, sir?" the bridge lieutenant asked, fear not quite disguised in his voice. Fear at being the scapegoat for the losing battle. Soruto hated to admit defeat, but even he knew that staying would mean his total destruction. A retreat would be wise, but there was one thing he refused to leave without.

"Prepare for an immediate retreat. I am go down to the planet to retrieve my apprentice. I want all ground troops returned to the ships and the fleet ready for hyperspace the moment we return." he ordered.

"Yes, m'lord," the lieutenant replied.

Soruto turned and stalked off the bridge, his long dark cloak swishing behind him. The Sith glared at everyone that he passed, his lip curled in a snarl. His Remnant had failed, and he would find someone to blame for this miserable defeat later. In record time Soruto reached the hangar bay, where a shuttle was prepped and waiting for him.

The craft flew unnoticed down to the blue-green planet, and landed softly nearby the battlefield. Unnoticed. The hatch hissed open, releasing a cloud of pressurized air. Through the cloud stepped Soruto, into the chaos of battle. Nothing would stand in his way. Nothing. Any that came near him got the full force of his wrath. No matter what, he would conquer this world. And that included lowering the shields. Heading towards the tunnel entrance to the SGC, he was startled to find a lonely figure standing in the middle of a clear area-away from the battle. He recognized her, and his hateful expression twisted into an almost amused sneer. The Earth Soferian was leaning heavily on a staff, looking as though she would topple if someone so much as breathed on her. She would be easy to get past. His sneer twisted into something resembling a smile, and he strode calmly towards Aurora.


	13. Endurance

**It's the end of the school year. Finals and projects and unreasonable teachers. Can you really blame me that this took so long to get up? Also, my friend and I relish your reviews. They only help us get better. c: Any feedback is welcomed.**

**P.S. To you Stargate fans: we have not forgotten that part of the story. I promise you, we will make up for what is lacking now in future chapters. :) Just thought I'd remind you. ;D**

* * *

Aurora watched Soruto cautiously as he stepped over the dead bodies that were strewn across his path. In her crippled state she knew that believing she could hobble away before he reached her was a utile hope. Better to die defending the base as best she could, no matter how useless the gesture was. Soon the Sith stood before her, his face expressionless.

Soruto spoke.

"I see you're standing in for your little friends now. They appear to be in quite a fix, wouldn't you say?"

"Don't try your tricks on me. I will not move."

"I see. Do you think it wise, Aurora, to stand in my way? Your death would be unnecessary. I'll conquer Earth, whether you move aside or not," he purred, stepping so close their bodies almost touched, staring down at her with his cold eyes.

"I will not let you go through," she answered simply, tightening her grip on the Jaffa staff weapon. Aurora tried to appear calm, but fear had already sunk its fangs into her heart. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Soruto just eyed her, his head tilted to one side. After a moment, in which the only sound that could be heard was the increasingly distant din of the battle, the Sith took one step around her towards the tunnel. Aurora flung out her left arm to keep him from crossing, and pressed her palm against his chest. Just an arm, made of light, hollow bone, easily broken. It posed no threat to the Sith. But it was her insubordination that set the anger simmering in him.

Moving so fast that if she'd blinked she would've missed his movement altogether, Soruto spun to face Aurora and shoved his palms outward. Bolts of crackling blue energy flowed from his hands and engulfed Aurora. In the next second she was down on the ground, writhing in pain, her mouth open in a silent scream. For half a minute Soruto kept up the steady stream of lightning. Finally, deciding he'd wasted enough time on the Earth Soferian, he stopped. She was unaware he had ceased, though; remnants of the energy still crackled throughout her and sent searing pain all along her body.

But Aurora was as stubborn as her sister, and forced herself to get up, gritting her teeth against the pain. She found the Force lightning had interfered with the regular eletrical impulses from her body and she couldn't manage to move her legs. So she crawled, pulling herself forward by her elbows, in to the Sith's path.

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" Soruto growled.

"I will not let you through." she ground out through her gritted teeth, lifting her head to glare up at him through the dark hair falling past her face..

Soruto didn't hesitate. Once more he raised his hands and sent waves of electricity coursing through the Earth Soferian at his feet. Aurora collapsed, her body jerking wildly on the ground. Without her realizing it, a tortured scream scraped raw the lining of her throat. The lightning ceased. This time, the girl did not get up.

Satisfied, the Sith started once more for the SGC entrance, but stopped. What point was there in entering the labyrinth of corridors? Undoubtedly, his apprentice had joined his forces in the battle. Had there been anyway to disable the planet's defenses inside, she would have. But since the super space station in orbit could not fully lock on the planet, venturing into the mountain was a monumental waste of time. Just like that, Soruto made up his mind then to go after Darth Rane. As he turned for the battle, he stepped over the still twitching body of Aurora.

* * *

The scream stabbed at Alana's ears, pounding sharp spikes of pain into her brain. It was a scream that likely only she could hear. It was her sister's scream, worming it's way through the miniscule telepathic bond that existed between the sisters, invading Alana's mind. Aurora's suffering became Alana's, and the effect was instantaneous. Her head exploded, and her stomach twisted into a thousand knots, threatening to bring up whatever she had eaten last. The Ice Soferain fell to her knees, hands pressed to her temples, trying to keep her head from splitting in two. The scream could only mean one thing, as far as Alana was concerned. He was here.

She felt more than heard him approach, a horrible sensation like thick molasses seeping into her body. It filled her mouth, her nows, dripping into her lungs and constricting her chest, making it hard to breathe.

And then he was beside her. The shock from Aurora's agony was still holding Alana's body hostage. She couldn't move away from her old master, couldn't attack him as she wanted to. She was completely defenseless.

A large, rough hand was placed on her shoulder, and immediately the pain stopped as the healing power of the Force flooded her body. Alana began to breathe normally again, though Soruto's presence remained as thick and viscous as sap. So familiar, the sensation. So easy to stand and return to the life she'd lived her life. She was tempted to pretend as though she had never seen her sister, that the memories had not sent her sprawling on the ground. Her resistance to the familiarity was crumbling like old mortar, falling to pieces around her….

There had to be a way to avoid the inevitable. But she couldn't run, she couldn't fight. And suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. Soruto knew nothing of the past couple hours. He didn't know if she was injured or unharmed. For all he knew, she could be mortally wounded. The hand on her shoulder was meant to heal. But he had no idea if he was too late to save her or not. Forcing her already aching body to obey, Alana shuddered and moaned as she had moments ago, remember Aurora's pain. Just the memory sent her into fits. Soruto's surprise rippled through her in waves, followed quickly by a simmering rage. He believed her charade.

_Silly Soruto. You've taught me so well. But I don't need you anymore._

What Alana was about to attempt was _Sofer's Cosse_, or Soferian's Rest. To a human, the proper term would be hibernation. When severely injured or dying, a Soferian could go into _Sofer's Cosse_, and over time (which passes much differently to the hibernating individual) the body would heal itself. But on the outside, the Soferain would show no signs of life. No pulse, no stirring breath. Similar to bacteria, the individual would form a "endospore" in its mind that would keep it alive, and keep its memories intact, for the duration of the _Sofer's Cosse_. Measuring brain waves was the only way to tell if one was hibernating or not. But Soruto didn't know any of this. His ignorance of her race would be his downfall.

Slowly, Alana's breathing became non-existent. Her heartbeat slowed considerably. Using the last of her quickly depleting strength, Alana mentally sent a message to Aurora. She had no idea if it would go through or not.

"_I will not go back to my old master. I will not die again."_

Then all detectable life functions ceased and then Alana was gone, slipping into the blackness of _Sofer's Cosse_. The last thing she heard was an infuriated cry from the Sith Lord, cut short by an unending ocean of silence.


	14. Destruction's Passing

Sam ran through the tunnels of the SGC, muttering to herself. This whole thing-Aurora, the battle, and all the other newcomers-was horrifying, and extremely unexpected. Too many of her comrades had died in the attack. Thankfully, none of SG-1 had bitten the dust. Yet.

After what seemed like hours later, she finally reached her lab and she quickly grabbed her laptop off the counter. It didn't take her long to get the device booted up. After setting up her equipment, she radioed Landrey.

"Sir," she said in a breathless rush, "I have to raise the planetary defenses. The ones that I used against the Ori."

In a parallel universe, Sam had encountered the Ori. She'd created a program that would not only make the planet invisible, but also would make it invincible to shots fired from space in defense. They would just pass right through it, as though it weren't there at all. Unfortunately, the power needed for this defense was equal to all the electricity in the United States. That's why there were no shield generators to disable; the power came from a country, not a generator.

The general took his time responding, and Sam began to worry that her words had been drowned out by her heaving breathing. Just as she was about to repeat her message, Laundrey's familiar voice crackled from the speaker

"Why?" he asked, his voice gruff and skeptical.

"The Death Star," she explained, still talking at light speed, "They'll destroy the planet if I don't."

"Will it take the same amount of energy?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, sir."

On the other end of the line, Landrey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't want to make a hasty decision, but if what Sam said was true, seconds could make all the difference. After a few seconds of pause, he responded, "I'll call the President. He'll have to make a long speech after this is all done and through."

"Yes, sir," Sam said again, her relief evident in her voice.

And, with the permission of the general, she began the procedure. It didn't take long. Once done, she began counting down on the intercom

"….3….2….1-initiating."

At her word, she turned the program on. All of the lights in the SGC except the emergency lights, dimmed and flickered. Sam closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. The program was operating. She hoped it would work.

The shuttle climbed back in to the upper levels of Earth's atmosphere, carrying Soruto with it. He was in more of a rage than when he had first stepped down on the planet. Alana was dead. The apprentice he'd trained so hard, had hand-picked from thousands of other Force adepts, was gone. Amazingly, inconceivably, unbelievably, the battle had been lost. The Sith's mouth flattened into a thin line and his eyes narrowed to slits. He'd order them to fire, whether there was a lock on planet or not.

But, back on the main deck of the space station, his plans flew out the proverbial window. "What happened?" Soruto all but screamed, staring at the empty black void where Earth had been moments before.

"I-I don't know, sir. The planet, just….just _disappeared_," the lieutenant stammered, confused.

"Fire!" the Sith snarled.

The lieutenant turned around to give the order, but he needn't have. All heard the conniption in his voice.

The space station fired-and missed. Or rather, shot at nothing. The laser went right through where the planet used to be. He couldn't admit defeat. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening.

"Fire!" Soruto shouted again.

Again the Death Star fired, and again they shot at nothing.

Soruto turned to the lieutenant, his gaze frigid. Without a word, the Sith extended his arm, curling his fingers. The man's eyes widened but he didn't have a chance to react. With a mere flick Soruto's hand, the lieutenant's neck snapped and he dropped to the ground.

Soruto turned to the young officer behind him. "You have been promoted to lieutenant."

The man snapped straighter and saluted the Sith, then hurried to take his post and ignored the corpse at his feet.

"Are all ships prepared for the jump to lightspeed?" the Sith said loudly. Another officer at a different console looked up and nodded.

"Yes sir, all units report ready. Shall I give the order to make the return trip?"

For a few moments Soruto stood still, eyes glued to the void of space where Earth used to hang. His campaign on Earth had failed….but that didn't mean this entire journey had to be a waste.

"There's been a change of plans. Tell the rest of the fleet to jump ahead of. We will meet them at the rendezvous site a few days late," he said, stepping to a console and punching in a new set of coordinates. "We have some….errands to run."

The bridge officers executed Soruto's orders without hesitation. The new lieutenant gave the countdown. The stars turned to white lines on the viewscreen, and then, with a burst of pseudomotion, the Imeperial Remnant jumped to hyperspace, leaving the cloaked Earth behind.


	15. Awake and Alive

Aurora woke up, sight hazy at first, but her eyes adjusted quickly, and she could see where she lay. The bed she occupied was surrounded by plastic, pale green curtains. An IV line ran from her arm to a bag suspended on a hook at the side of her bed. Not to mention the oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. It seemed like she was in a hospital after all. No wonder, though. Her muscles were knotted together, like they had been frozen together, and her head was pounding. She could hardly move, and it was extremely hard to think about anything else but the pain.

Aurora thought back to how she had gotten here. The last she could remember was staring up at Soruto in front of the tunnel entrance. He'd raised his hands, covering her in a web of agonizing blue energy. And then the wall of darkness had slammed over her vision.

_Alana!_ Aurora thought abruptly. There was no imagining what could have happened to her.

Aurora sat up, but not easily, considering all the machines she was plugged in to. Frenzied, she began yanking off the wires, tubes, and oxygen mask. They tangled up in her flailing limbs and it took longer than she wanted to free herself of the constricting mass. Aurora stumbled out of bed, sliding her feet on the white linoleum, leaning on anything she could for support.

Then she heard the footsteps. Limping, forcing her body to go fast even though every muscle in her body screamed in protest, she made her way back to her bed, pulled the covers up, and held her breath. Briefly, the steps stopped, but then started up a moment later, fading as they moved further away from her room. Aurora waited an interminable amount of time after, just to be sure they were gone.

Once she was sure the footsteps weren't coming back, the Earth Soferian eased herself out of bed and tiptoed to the gap in the curtain. Opening the curtain a crack, Aurora peeked out. There was no one in view, so she slipped out from behind it. Looking over her shoulder, she limped as fast as she could down the deserted corridor, using the wall for support.

When she got to the doorway, Aurora glanced around the corner. No one in sight. She crept out into the hallway. Aurora had to stop often along the six feet of wall she traveled in little over five minutes, catching her breath and wincing at the pain her aggravated injuries caused her. This was no good. What she needed was something to support her as she walked, or better yet, something to carry her.

"Aurora! What are you doing out of the infirmary?"

Aurora whirled around. It took all her concentration not to fall down from the pain and unseen ache that kept her from moving quickly.

It was a relief to find the Senator, Leia, eyeing her in alarm instead of an SGC soldier. It was probably going to be harder for her to convince the woman, though.

"I have to find Alana," she said quietly.

"You shouldn't be out of the infirmary." Leia said gently, but firmly. "You need to get back to bed."

"NO!" Aurora said as fiercely as she could manage. "I have to find her. I need to know she's safe."

"You're just stressed from the effort. Come on. We'll get you back to bed." the way Leia spoke, a bit too rushed to be just concern, made Aurora believe the Senator was hiding something.

"NO! Didn't you hear what I said?" she replied. "Can't you at least take me to her? It'll go faster than me walking alone, and I'll get back to bed quicker."

Leia sighed. She was fighting a battle internally, Aurora could see. But in the end, she relented. "You're right. You have a right to know."

Aurora's mouth went dry. So Leia was hiding something, then. "Know what?" she whispered hoarsely. The Senator took her arm, allowing Aurora to lean on her.

"Just come with me."

Lei turned Aurora around, leading her through the infirmary, past the other cots filled with other wounded patients, past the surgical suites, headed towards the imposing metal door of the morgue.

* * *

She had the vague sense of returning to a conscious state, though she couldn't be sure. She had been out for so long, floating on a serene black ocean. But as her mind surfaced, she knew that, yes, she was coming to. It was cold. Cold as death, smelling of chemicals. She knew that she was lying on something like a metal gurney. She was also aware of a tingling sensation that ran up and down her body, and felt her dormant heart begin to pound. Awake at last. A door opened nearby, and footsteps could be heard echoing off the metal walls. Unfamiliar voices, unrecognizable presences.

And a familiar presence.

_Aurora…_ her mouth formed the word, but no sound came out. Her lungs hadn't pulled oxygen from the air for so long, they weren't capable of allowing her speech just yet. She tried to open her eyes, but they, to, didn't want to cooperate. She heard crying, or it could have been screaming. She couldn't be sure. A hand gripped hers, and then let go. More crying. Slowly, she managed to move her left hand, then her left arm, until she had propped herself a few inches off of the ice cold gurney. As she moved, she felt something like a plastic cover slip from her face and torso. Still trying to force her eyes open, she yawned. She felt no pain. Every wound she'd acquired during the battle was now healed. She only wished to get some fresh air. But, after _Soferian's Cosse_, she bound to be a bit weak.

She heard a startled gasp, and then Leia's voice.

"Aurora-A-Alana…." and then running footsteps, fading in the opposite direction. A moment later, she sensed so many more people in the room. The rest was a blur, and she heard yells-or were they whispers? - all around her. She slumped back on the bed, and let whoever was there do what they could for her-and her sister, still clutching Alana's frigid hand in hers.

**_Three days later…._**

Alana stood at the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain, arms crossed loosely across her chest. Her eyes had acquired a glazed look over them. The irises remained intact, keeping their stunning icy blue. But where the pupil should be was a milky white covering, keeping all light from entering her eyes. They stared blankly at nothing, and a look of mixed anger and sadness ghosted Alana's pretty features. Despite the unseeing quality of her eyes, she was, in fact, aware of everything going on around her, thanks to the Force.

But she was still blind

After fully coming to, which happened about three hours after awaking from _Soferian's Cosse_, the resident doctors had been smart enough to gather information on Soferians (what little there was) from the databanks of the Rebel ships. Alana was surprised and amazed to hear it was still orbiting the planet. From what the medics could gather about her physiology, since the Soferians were part reptile, they had a second eyelid behind the first (even when they were not in reptilian form). The medics also looked at historical records and discovered that the last fifty or so generations had not attempted _Soferian's Cosse_. Which meant Alana's body was not used to it and did not know how to react when forced into hibernation. Thus, she had not walked away from it unscathed. Her eyes had been closed so long, that the second eyelid had fused to her eye. Resulting in blindness. Not only that, but a concussion she'd received in battle that would have otherwise been minor, had taken longer to heal in _Soferian's Cosse_ and therefore resulted in permanent brain damage, to, as luck would have it, the occipital lobe. All visual areas were all but mush now. In other words, no matter what medical surgery was attempted, Alana was blind. For good.

The only way she was able to walk around without one of those annoying tapper-stick-thingys or Seeing Eye beasts was because she had the Force. She could sense the basic structure of things, sense things in front of and behind her. Using what she sensed, she could form a black-and-white 3D image in her mind. But that didn't change the fact she was still blind. Alana had to rely completely on the Force, and even then she still might look the wrong way when talking to someone, or forget that there was a small gap between her and the other side of whatever, or a million other things.

Sighing, Alana turned and hesitated before entering the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Reaching out with the Force, she checked to make sure there was no traffic-pedestrian or otherwise-in her path. She took a step forward and, forgetting there was a curb, stumbled and would have fallen had it not been for her wings.

"Why me?" she mumbled through gritted teeth. It was living in total darkness. She hated it. Alana would have loved to blame this on Soruto, and she did. So very easily. He was the one who had _forced_ her into this. It made her all the more determined to seek out and destroy him. But wait, how could she fight when she was blind? It took time to form the image in her mind, and a battle was always fast-paced. She would be fighting in the dark, and would be defeated easily. Unless she could learn to form the picture faster. Not like she was that committed to training anymore, though.

Frustration followed Alana like a looming thunderhead. At times it would burst into a raging storm and she could easily explode at people for the simplest things. Since Luke Skywalker seemed to be her shadow, he got the brunt of her anger. The Jedi would leave for a time after a tantrum, waiting for her to cool off, but then he would be back. Always. On top of that, Alana knew that one of two things would happen upon returning to her home galaxy. One, she would be locked up and kept a prisoner for the rest of her life. Or two, Skywalker would persuade the New Republic, with the help of Aurora and maybe Organa-Solo, to release her. And then train her.

Alana had laughed at that. _Train_ her? She had already been trained. She was more powerful than he could ever dream to be. But she had stopped laughing when she realized she only knew the dark side of the Force. Anger and hatred and killing and all that stuff that was forbidden to a Jedi. If she ever wished to become anything remotely like the do-gooders of the Force, she'd need his help.

Oh, joy.

From then on, whenever she'd addressed him, she mockingly referred to him as 'Master'. He didn't mind; in that irritatingly calm way of his, she could almost picture him smirking. But since she could not see, how was she supposed to know if he was smiling or not?

Growling, she stormed her way through the halls. Back to the small room she'd been given until the medics gave word that she could leave the planet with the New Republic. On the way there, she managed to lose her focus and ran into over three walls-at least, she thought they were walls.

"I don't have time for this." She snarled to herself. She had no idea where in the SGC she was, and it would take her a long, long time to actually figure it out. Unless she were to ask someone, but that would be a huge blow to her pride. She was still independent, as well as incredibly stubborn, and would not stoop to asking for directions. No matter how much she needed them.

"Lost?"

Alana recognized the voice immediately. _Skywalker_.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

She sensed him turn around and begin to walk away.

"Wait-" this went against everything she'd been taught "-I think I do need a little-" who knew dependency was so hard to grasp? Or ask for? "-help." She finally managed to say. Alana heard Luke chuckle. His amusement, irritated her even more. "Are you going to just stand there laughing, or help me?"

"It doesn't seem you are willingly accepting it."

"I asked for it. Isn't that enough?"

"No."

"You want me to _want_ it?"

"Yes."

She could have slapped him. "Fine. I am _willingly accepting_ your help."

"No, you're not."

She would have loved to take out her lightsaber and sever the Jedi's other hand. But, smart as her Master was, he had refused to return it to her..

"I have the feeling you'll help me either way."

"Then I don't know what you're feeling."

"Just get me back to my room, okay?"

"What's the magic word?" There was no mistaking the smile in his voice. Alana seethed.

"You're enjoying taking advantage of me, aren't you? I thought that wasn't like a Jedi."

"Who said anything about taking advantage of you? I just want to hear the magic word. That's all."

"Fine. _Please_ help me back to my room." the words were spat from between her gritted teeth.

"_Much_ better, Alana," Luke reached forward and gently grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around and guiding her through a maze of corridors that Alana couldn't even begin to follow. Her wings and body were tensed, and her mind was close to entering battle-mode. She _hated_ accepting help from others. Especially those she could easily crush. Finally, they arrived at her room.

"We're here." Her Master's voice said, a bit too cheerfully.

"Thank you, _Master_." Alana growled back, and waved her hand over the sensor. The door slid soundlessly open, and she stepped inside. Before he could say another word, she waved her hand again over the sensor again, shutting the door on his face. She felt her way around the room, until she was sure she came to her bed. Falling onto the soft covers, she reached for a pillow and screamed into it, before tearing it apart with her scaled hands. She imagined the pillow was Skywalker, or Soruto. Or both evils rolled into one.

Company. She needed company. Not Leia, and certainly not Luke-_Master_. She hadn't seen-okay, _not_ the right word-_talked_ to her sister since waking up. For some reason, they hadn't let her into the infirmary to see Aurora. It didn't make sense. Reaching over to where she knew the call button was (they had forcefully insisted on putting one in), she held her thumb down on it.

"Would it be possible for me to see Aurora?"

"Uh…" the voice on the end of the line seemed unsure.

"This is Alana."

"I don't think-"

"Whether you give me permission or not, I'm coming in."

"Do you need assistance-"

"No, I don't need and f-ing assistance, especially not from you! I can find my way there. I'm blind, not a quadriplegic."

"I…guess that would be okay." The voice was tight, unaccustomed to be snapped at.

"Thank you." She ended the conversation, releasing her thumb from the call switch.

It took her about an hour, but she finally made it to the infirmary.

* * *

"Let me go back to sleep..." Aurora mumbled.

"Someone's here to see you," A nurse whispered back. "Someone I'm sure you'll want to see."

Aurora sighed. It had been _three days_ spent in the company of this sickly sweet woman. Aurora just wanted to be left alone, but no, the doctors had to keep their eye on her so she wouldn't run off again. Frustrating. Utterly, confusingly frustrating. Those three days had done nothing for her lack of strength, stamina, and pretty much, health. Aurora opened her eyes, and stifled a groan as she turned her head.

As soon as Aurora saw who was standing in the doorway, her eyes widened in surprise. It was a relief to see her sister standing there, unsupported. _Lucky her._ Aurora thought with a touch of bitterness. But then she noticed something. Something was wrong, something she could not place. Her stance was completely wrong, and her face had a dejected, depressed look on it. Something was not right.

"Alana!" Aurora said hoarsely. Aurora struggled to get up, but the energy wasn't there.

The nurse brought Alana over, pulling a chair out for her. Once Aurora's sister had gingerly sat down, the nurse left to sit in a far corner, watching the two, but out of earshot.

"Alana, what happened? What's wrong? Don't try to hide anything from me-I know there's something wrong."

Alana just stared blankly ahead. Then Aurora noticed something. Her eyes-a striking, eerie blue, made eerier still by the lack of pupils. She felt she knew what that meant, but she didn't want her fears to be confirmed. She silently pleaded with her sister to tell her otherwise.

"Tell me. Please," Aurora whispered.

"Sofer's Cosse has…devastating side affects." Alana said in a flat, inflectionless tone. "It seems that since our parents or grandparents never attempted it, I paid the price."

"What?" Aurora was insistent. She had to hear it from her sister's own mouth.

"I'm blind." Alana answered bluntly.

Aurora let out a long breath, and her chin dropped to her chest. She couldn't believe it. It was obvious, from the pupiless eyes, but it was still….inconceivable.

"What? You can't be!" Aurora said.

"Believe it." Alana's tone was suddenly hard.

"You're agitating her. I think you'll have to leave now." the nurse whispered gently in Alana's ear.

She looked up at what she hoped was the nurse. She could just imagine stern expression on the other's face.

"No, it's ok. She can stay," Aurora said tremulously. The nurse looked frowned at Aurora as well, but Aurora insisted. Finally, with a disapproving nod of approval, the nurse left the two sisters alone.

"So...you're blind."

"Yeah," Alana replied.

"There's got to be something they can do."

"Nope. Too much damage was done. There's nothing they can do."

"What about the Force?" Aurora asked.

"I can only see black and white shapes. I'm training with Luke, though." Aurora saw Alana's face twist into a dark cloud of something like hatred, before it vanished behind her expressionless mask.

"You don't like that, do you?"

"Of course not! I hate him! He's a maddening, infuriating, cocky little prick! You really expect me to like that?"

"No. Please stop yelling at me."

Alana realized that she was standing up, towering over Aurora. This was no good. She couldn't treat her sister this way. Swallowering her frustration, Alana stiffly lowered herself back into her seat.

"I'm sorry. This blindness has affected me more than I wished. I'll go now..."

"No! Don't go. It's ok. I understand," Aurora said, reaching a feeble arm towards her sister. Laying her hand on Alana's, she spoke softly, "At least they haven't sentenced you to death. And you know, once they let me out of this stinking bed-" Aurora picked at the the blanket she was under, not realizing Alana couldn't see the movement, "-I'll need training too. You won't be alone."

"Thank you," Alana muttered, mind still engulfed in her own anger.

There was a long pause, silence, save for the distant sound of doctors tending to other patients. Finally, Alana spoke.

"Well, I guess I should leave you to rest," Alana said, getting up.

"I guess," Aurora sighed. "Please come back and visit me. I get really bored just lying here, sleeping and eating."

"I will," Alana promised.

* * *

Aurora woke, dimly recalling the conversation she had with her sister. Beyond that, she could not remember a thing.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?" Sam asked from the foot of the bed.

"Lousy."

Aurora had an incredible headache, and was extremely thirsty. Not to mention that she desperately needed some fresh air.

"Well, you're alive. That's all that matters."

Aurora nodded.

"Can I see Alana?"

"She's with Master Skywalker. Outside. It's one o'clock in the morning. I don't think the doctors will let you out at this hour, seeing as you've been asleep for nearly half the day," Sam replied.

"Will you take me to her?" Aurora pleaded. "Just for a few minutes? I have to let her know that I'm alright."

"Senator Organa-Solo already took care of that."

"Please?"

Sam looked uncertain. Then she sighed.

"I guess I could take you to see her for a very short visit."

"Thanks," Aurora whispered, offering a tired half-smile.

Sam only grimaced, thinking of how much trouble she would be in with Doctor Fraiser if she got caught.

* * *

Aurora unsteadily climbed out of the wheelchair Sam had taken her to Alana in. Sam mad to help her, but Aurora waved her off.

Luke and Alana were talking quietly over at the chain link fence surrounding Cheyenne Mountain. It was a clear, beautiful night. The stars were shining on the bluish-purple background of sky.

Aurora stumbled her way over to her sister and the Jedi.

"May I interrupt your session?" Aurora asked Luke. Luke inclined his head and walked a polite distance away, eyes still on Alana.

Stepping up beside her sister, Aurora set her hand on Alana's shoulder.

Alana's face turned toward Aurora, her blank eyes staring as if she were daydreaming, her expression still a strange mixture of frustration and depression.

"I had an idea. Try to look through my eyes," Aurora said.

Alana narrowed her sightless eyes, wondering if her sister had jumped off of the deep end. "What?"

"Just do it," she told her, rolling her own eyes.

Alana frowned, but decied to placate her sister. Feeling stupid, she took Aurora's hand in her own and slowly, cautiously, Alana probed her sister's mind. She met no resistance. Finally, she met the part of Aurora that interpreted what her eyes saw.

Aurora turned her head to the sky, and a star shot across the horizon. Alana saw all of it-the stars, the sky, the mountain-through her sisters eyes. It was hard to let. She knew she had to withdraw eventually, but almost a week without sight had starved her. After a while, just seeing, watching the sky, Alana drew from Aurora's mind, the memory sharp and clear.

"No one can separate us now. No one," Aurora whispered calmly into Alana's ear. "I just want you to know that you will never be alone. Don't ever give up, because everything will work out." Aurora left her sister's side, settling herself in the wheelchair. After making sure that she was comfortable, Sam wheeled Aurora back into the base.

Alana turned back to her waiting, turned back to her new life, turned back with something of a new hope, her eyes glittering as if she could still see.

**END OF PART I**

**Yes, I know, cheesy ending. But we were in sixth grade. I managed to edit parts of this so the story doesn't sound quite so….er, dumb. Again, Stargate will be playing a bigger part in the next installment. Things get darker. This was just….a taste. My friend and I are still finishing up part two, so it might be a while, but there won't be a huge three year gap like last time. ^^; Until then, may the Force be with You.**

**_~Darth Rane_**


End file.
